On to the Olde Town
by Luckie D
Summary: John Munch pays a visit to Maria Frank living in Boston, Massachusetts once his divorce from Billie Lou is finalized and to get a chance to meet a son he never met. A continuation to "Back to Charm City". Rated M for language and adult content.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer - Maria Frank and Scott Frank are my own creations. John Munch belongs to Law and Order: SVU. All other characters were created for this fic. Rated M for language and adult situations.  
>A continuation to the 'what if?' fic "Back to Charm City". John Munch's divorce is finalized after two years and finally gets a chance to see the one woman he trusts and loves and the son he never knew existed.<strong>

After two long years, the day had finally come. The divorce papers were signed and finalized, life had finally settled down and the chance to take two paid weeks off had become available for John Munch. Two years of sending letters, emails and having endless conversations on the telephone to keep in touch with the one woman he loved and trusted had finally led to the trip he had been waiting for. He couldn't want to see her again and the son he hadn't known until she had told him in the midst of an emotional breakdown he had been dealing with. Since then, he had been corresponding with them both since Maria left to head home to Boston again.

He wasn't the only one who was excited. Maria Frank had arose early that Friday morning to get five-year old Scott's breakfast ready before he awoke for his morning routine. She had explained to him what was going on and even had him talk with John over the phone, but she wasn't sure if it had sunk in completely. Part of her feared if he was going to accept John as his real father and someone who wanted to be involved in his life, but the other part of her knew everything was going to be all right. Scott was John's blood after all. The small child was far too much like him in so many ways, there was no way Scott wasn't going to accept John as his biological father. Shaking her head with a small chuckle and reaching for an egg in the fridge, she quickly made a scrambled egg with toast as Scott appeared around the corner in his pajamas. His dark hair was sticking up from sleeping heavily and his dark eyes had the tell-tale signs of being barely awake. "Hey, sport. Ready for the fun day ahead of us?"

Sighing as he slipped into his chair and using both hands to get a good grasp on his fork, Scott slowly chewed on some egg before it began to really sink in. "Fun? What are we doing again?"

"We're going to be meeting someone at the train station around ten this morning. Do you remember who we've been talking to for a while now?" Frank fully knew he didn't have memory issues, but making sure he knew what was happening was happening _that_ day was important.

Tilting his head up and making the best thinking expression, Scott swallowed what he had and answered, "Is it the man I have been talking to on the phone?"

"Yes, it is. Do you remember his name?" She watched him make a face from thinking before shaking his head. "His name is John and his last name is Munch, like the munchkins in the movie Wizard of Oz. Does that make it easier?"

The five-year old nodded his head and took a large bite from his toast. He continued to hum to himself and kick his legs back and forth in his chair for a few minutes before stopping and frowned slightly. "Hey, Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"Is this man really my daddy?" He looked up at her with huge brown eyes full of curiosity and an innocent face to boot. Complete with John's facial features - but with Maria's dark brown hair - there was no way he wasn't Munch's son. "How do you know I don't have a different daddy then what you are saying?"

Sighing softly, Maria placed her mug of coffee down on the dining table and closed her eyes for a minute to think. "Remember that talk we had about where babies come from?"

"Yes. About how a mommy and daddy would love each other so much, they would make a wish and a baby would be created in the mommy's tummy."

"That's right. I had never made that kind of wish to anyone else except him. The sad part is, I moved away before the wish was completed and he never got to see you. I know you're scared about meeting someone new since I have taught you 'stranger danger', but since he has tried so hard to talk with you for a long time, he's not going to feel like a stranger too much." She tilted her head to the left and smiled down at her son. "It's normal to be scared meeting someone you have never seen before, but he's going to be so happy to see you."

"He's not scary?"

Maria smiled warmly at the child and was reminded by how much he did look like his father with his innocent expression. "Not at all. He's a very tall person and may seem scary, but he's not scary at all."

M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M

John Munch waited until the train came to a complete stop before standing and reaching for his bags. Swinging one over his shoulder and holding the other in his other hand, he made his way off the train and into the bustle of people making their way to meet with family or out to waiting cars for their next destination. Looking through the crowd for a familiar face, Munch spotted a woman kneeling down to tie the shoe of the child next to her. He waited until she turned her head before approaching her, a smile on his face.

When he got closer, the child took a hold of her hand with an unreadable expression on his face. Maria sensed it and pulled her hand from his, placing it on his shoulder. "It's okay, Scott. Why don't you say hi?"

Before greeting Maria, John kneeled down at the boy's level and patiently waited for him to make the first move. Scott tilted his head slightly as he thought of what to do. He didn't have a fearful feeling in the pit of his gut since he had a chance to talk with John for the past two years, but meeting him in person was different. After a few long minutes passed, Scott slowly smiled and walked over to John, wrapping his arms around him. Frank heavily swallowed as she watched the two finally meet in person and blinked a few times when the tears started to come. Munch wrapped his arms tightly around the boy and squeezed his eyes shut to hold in his emotions. "It's great to meet you, Scott," He whispered with a shaky voice. "It's really great to finally meet you."

"Good to meet you, too." The five year old replied back. Taking a step back from hugging his father, Scott stared at him with curiosity and flat-out asked, "Are you really my daddy?"

John grinned from the child's question and placed his hands on his shoulders. "I certainly am, Scott, and I'm very sorry for not being around." Accepting Munch's answer easily, Scott turned to see his mother walking closer to them with a smile plastered on her face. "Good to see you again, Maria."

"Same here," Frank whispered as he pulled her into a tight hug. Burying her face into his shoulder and not wanting to let go, she could feel Scott grabbing a hold of her shirt to let her know he was still there and shifted her head to see him watching her with his dark eyes. She didn't want him to see the tears in her eyes and quickly wiped them away when they pulled apart reluctantly. Inhaling a deep breath to steady herself, she asked them both, "What should we do first? Go home for lunch and settle down or give you a tour of the town, John?"

Juggling the ideas for a minute, Munch allowed his exhaustion from the day take over. "How about lunch and settle down. We can do the tour when I'm not tired."

"Would be a good idea. I don't want two cranky boys on my hand later on." She smirked, glancing down at Scott as she rubbed the top of his head. When he frowned and attempted to bat her hand away, she offered the help John with his luggage and showed him the way to her car. "Scott, can you unlock the trunk?"

The five year old opened the driver's side door and popped the trunk with both hands. He grinned up at Munch's expression. "Mommy taught me that last week!"

"Did she now?" He turned to admire Maria's teaching abilities as she loaded the trunk. "Teaching him car tech stuff all ready?"

She pressed her lips together in a tight smile and waved for Scott to get into the back seat. "Yes, I did. He wanted to help with the groceries one day and, since my hands were full, I told him how to do it and he did it." Frank closed the trunk lid and reached into the backseat to help with the the car seat straps. "You are a smart little bugger, aren't ya?"

"I am not little! I am a big boy." He stated firmly, holding his chin up high to emphasis his words.

"Yes, you are right," She replied back with a smile. Shutting the door, Maria almost collided with John - he was standing awfully close. "Do I need to strap you into your seat, too?"

He raised his dark eyebrows and glanced at her over his glasses. "Maybe." Tilting his head one direction and placing his hands on her shoulders, John gently kissed her on the lips and wasn't even surprised when she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Once her mouth opened to welcome him in, his arms moved to wrap around her firmly and gently sighed into the now-heated passionate kiss.

Completely oblivious to their surroundings and where they really were, Maria softly moaned in Munch's mouth and ran her fingers through his hair when he pulled her closer. A hand smacking against glass quickly pulled them back to Earth and they gradually broke the kiss. Frank glanced down to see Scott's hand on the car window and his attempting to see what was going on. "I'm glad those windows are tinted," She whispered softly, her arms still around John's neck.

"I am, too," he whispered back with a grin. "I missed you so much." Moving his hands up to her shoulders, Munch gazed deeply into Maria's eyes and said those words he had wanted to say since seeing her once more. "I really love you, too."

Much to his surprise, Maria grinned up at him at his words and placed her hands on his chest. "I know you do. I still love you," her words slipped out with ease and they began to move forward for another kiss when the hand pounding against the window started up again. Sighing, she exhaled a heavy breath and tapped the window with her fingernails. "We're coming, buddy."

"What is taking you?" He asked loudly so he could be hear through the window. "I am getting hungry."

"Okay, we're comin'," She sighed back and nodded her head in the direction of the front passenger seat. "Door's unlocked for you. Stretch out, get comfy and I'll take care of the traffic."

* * *

><p>Turning to the left and heading down a quiet street, John scanned the buildings as he took in where Maria and Scott were living - four level apartments on a quiet and clean road. Two children ran down the sidewalk as they followed a ball and he smiled to himself at the thought of this area being a safe place for the two. He had worried about where they were living and whether it was a safe neighborhood or not.<p>

"Here we are," Maria Frank happily announced as she pulled up in front of a pleasant-looking apartment building and shifted the car into park. "Let's pop the trunk, get your stuff out and you can get settled in." Turning in her seat and seeing the five year old was fast asleep in his car seat, she chuckled to herself and added, "And let's get bucko upstairs and he might wake up for some food before passing out again."

"Does that happen all the time?" John asked with his voice at a whisper. His lips had pulled back at a small smile at the sight of Scott out cold in the backseat asleep - his arms hung down at his sides and his head was tilted to one side. "He looks so peaceful."

"He does and this does happen all the time. When he was an infant and had a hard time sleeping at night, I would drive him around until he fell right to sleep." She answered him back as she undid her seatbelt and reached down to pop the trunk. "Go ahead and get your stuff and I'll get him." Making their way up the stairs to her second floor apartment, Maria fished out her keys and managed to keep her other arm securely around Scott's sleeping body as she shifted through the keys with one hand, pushing the right one in the lock. "This is a talent all in of itself, John," She explained when she noticed his expression at her skills. "I had to learn this on my very first time bringing him home."

Reaching around her to turn the doorknob, Munch looked around the well-light apartment and instantly felt at home. It wasn't crystal clean, but it wasn't a huge mess either. Papers laid scattered on the dining table and rectangle coffee table. Toys from a toy box in the living room area were scattered throughout the place and the morning dishes sat in the sink, waiting to be washed. A rather large dog lifted his head from a pillow in the corner of the living room and gave a small 'woof' before laying his head back down. Another one came out of a room from down the hall and stood there, trying to consider whether to bark at the unknown man or not. John instantly recognized the large dog on the pillow and approached him carefully. "Hey, Alex. You look good, ol' boy."

Maria laid Scott down on the couch and smiled when she saw Alex slowly getting up from his dog bed to see John. "Seems like he recognizes you, John. This one over here is Ace," She explained, motioning to the younger dog standing in the hallway. "He's Alex's replacement since he retired."

"Is retirement doing good for him?"

"More or less. When he had been retired, they wanted to move him into a different home once he was retrained, but he didn't do too well in that new place. I was contacted and I took him back. He's getting up there with age, but he's taking the quiet life well." She knelt down beside John and reached a hand out to rub an erect ear on the black German Shepherd, earning a groan in reply. "He's more into laying under the shade in the park then going for a walk."

Munch glanced over in Maria's direction and swallowed slowly. He could practically feel her body heat wrapping around him and reach a hand out for his fingertips to touch her arm. When she turned her head and locked her eyes with his, he took the chance to rest his entire hand on her arm and smiled when her eyes closed at the contact. "I'm not making any moves on you, by the way," he whispered gently, hoping Scott was a deep sleeper.

"Sure looks like it," Maria smirked when she opened her eyes. "How about I show you where you'll be sleeping before I do something in front of _our_ son."

"I won't be bunking in your space?" He asked as they stood up.

Picking up one of his bags and making sure Scott was still napping away, she beckoned him to follow her down the hall to a closed door where he office was located. "I want you to as much as the next person, but maybe you can stay in here just for the next few nights until Scott relaxes. He's never seen a fully grown man in my bed before and I know it would drive me up the wall with his questions."

"Questions?"

"Questions! It's one of the many things he got from you. Right from the second he could talk, he asked questions and questioned everything other people did. If he doesn't grow up to do what we do, I'll go ahead and dance on my parents graves." She made a hand motion with one hand of dancing. "He may be five, but there are moments when he acts like a full grown adult." Exhaling a sharp breath, she opened the door and allowed John to walk in first. "It may not look like home, but I hope it feels like it."

Munch laid his eyes on the futon that had been set up for him and smiled. "It's perfect." His eyes laid upon Frank and smiled at her warmly. "Just as you are."

Her face went pink and she licked her lips nervously. "Thank you."

M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M

Later that night:

"So, I was talking to Flynn and he told me that Micky Jones and Dickie Smith got to fly in a plane! Flynn then told me they did not get to have any food on the plane, just yucky water. Oh! And then Flynn told me about the time him and his dad got to go in a boat on a huge lake and they caught big fish!" Scott was happily telling about his weekly tales while in between taking bites of his chicken. "It said it was this big," He held his arms out with fingers out straight, showing the fish was longer then his arms. "But they did not keep it! He dad told him they were going to let it go back to his family in the lake." He pulled down his sippy cup and took a long drink from it, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Do you think a fish has a family, John? Like a mommy and a daddy and a big kid and a small kid?"

Throughout the entire time the child had been talking, John hadn't even had a chance to take a bite of food out of fascination from his speed of talking. Thinking about his question of the fish, he finally took a bite of the chicken with a dab of mashed potatoes. "Well, someone has to watch the little baby fishes, right?" Scott nodded his head and forked up some potatoes into his mouth. "It only seems right the fish who has the baby fishes is the one to watch them. Like a mommy or a daddy."

Scott smiled at the explanation and went back to his meal for a second. "Flynn's Mommy works with my Mommy. His Daddy works with cars. Do you go after bad guys like Mommy?"

Freezing with the fork halfway to his mouth, Munch's eyes glanced over in Maria's direction. She took the hint and cut in for a moment. "He does the same work I do. That's how we met before you were born, Scott." When Scott opened his mouth to speak again, she tapped the table to get his attention. "Hey, how about letting him eat his dinner before it gets cold. Be sure to eat your peas, too."

The boy made a face at his peas and poked at them with his fork. "Do I have to?"

"Eating your peas will help you be big and strong like me someday," John encouraged gently. He didn't notice Maria staring at him with an astonished look. "Eat them all and you might just get as tall as me, too." He reached over and scooted a pea close to the edge of Scott's plate and waited. The child gave him a skeptical look. "I promise it will. I know they might taste pretty yucky now at your age, but how about a little bit of cheese on them? It might just make it a little easier for you."

Scott looked at his mother and asked, "Can I put some cheese on my peas, pwease?" When she nodded her head in the direction of the fridge, he scrambled from his seat, opened the door and returned to the table with the bag of cheddar jack cheese in his hand. "Help me?" He held the bag out to John with a smile on his face.

John glanced at Maria with an expression of slight surprise on his face. When she smiled warmly at him and slightly nodded her head, he turned his head to see the little boy shaking the bag slightly to get his attention. "Sure, Scott." He took the bag and sprinkled a small amount of cheese on the pile of peas. "There you go. Try that."

Frank observed their son carefully as he tried some peas with a sprinkle of cheese on. When he smiled and nodded his head happily, it felt like a huge weight was lifted from her shoulders and she took a chance to eat her dinner with a tune in her heart.

*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*

Later,

"I have to thank you for what you did with Scott. I've been struggle for the past few years to get him to eat his veggies. He'll shovel down fruit like there's no tomorrow, but veggies have always been his hardest struggle with food." Maria was sitting on the edge of the futon after Scott was tucked into bed for the night and watched John unpack his bags into empty drawers she had fixed up for him. "Did your parents do that with you and Bernie when you were little?"

He nodded his head and reached for his black sleep scrubs. "Mom had a hard time as well with the two of us. Dad showed her how to do it one night after we had enough with her begging and locked ourselves in our bedrooms." He heard a sound and turned to see Maria's tisking him. "I wasn't exactly a perfect gentlemen at that age I was at, Mar," He smirked and was playfully smacked in the forearm. "Hey!"

"Locking yourselves in your rooms to avoid eating veggies. That explains a lot now." She crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall. "Scott's done that to me already. This evening's little glare fest was just a mellow moment."

"Ah, okay. Felt like he was holding back a hissy fit." He lifted his shirt over his head and got ready to change. "So, is Flynn a friend or something?"

Tearing her eyes from staring at his bare chest, Frank swallowed heavily before answering him. "Flynn is his best friend in kindergarten. Those two grew up together from the moment they were born. His mother works the front desk at the station department - the same one I work at - and his father does work on cars in an auto-body shop. He's a month older then Scott and just as bright."

Sitting down beside her and removing his transition glasses to rub his eyes, John spoke in a rather soft voice. "I'm glad - very glad - Scott has a best friend. He was certainly excited at dinner to talk about practically everything."

Maria laughed and uncrossed her arms to lean on her knees. "Yes, he does that. I try to get him to eat in between sentences since he does forget to eat his meals sometimes." She felt a hand on her back and inhaled a slow breath. "He's reminded me so much of you from the moment he was born, it made me miss you so much more." His hand froze for a moment until she felt him moving beside her. Next thing she felt was his lips on the back of her neck and his hand moving up to push her dark hair away. "I'd dream you were right next to me in bed, but would wake up to only have my arms around a pillow instead."

"I'm here now," his whispered softly in her ear, taking her earlobe into his mouth. Grinning to himself when she gasp and gripped his knee, he gently took a hold of her chin and turned her head to look deeply into her eyes. "Sleep with me?"

Sadly smiling and straightening up, she placed her hand on his chest and licked her lips nervously. "I want to, John, but there's something telling me I can't. I mean, seeing you sitting here without a shirt on is already driving me crazy-"

"We can stay quiet if you're afraid we'll wake Scott." He placed his hand over her's that rested on his chest, gripping her fingers firmly.

Maria shook her head and lifted her head enough for him to see the tears were coming. "It's not that."

"What is it?"

"I-I just don't want us to move so fast to the point we hurt each other again. The first time we met, we moved so fast it took a while for my head to really comprehend what we had done. Before I understood it, all I wanted was you because I was addicted and didn't want it to stop." She inhaled a deep breath to steady herself before continuing. "Then, when I was to report back here due to an emergency, we ended up hurting each other emotionally and mentally. I cried every day during my pregnancy because I wanted to tell you, but was too damn afraid what you would say."

John listened intently to her words. It was true - they did move too fast and ended up hurting each other drastically. "You didn't want to tell me since we never did mention our thoughts on children."

She nodded her head. "Now I have Scott and I want him to know you better then I ever did before we slept together. I don't want him to catch us sleeping side-by-side in my bed or here on the futon. He's only known me having no one by my side when in bed and I know it would freak him out seeing you there." Frank placed her free hand on the side of his face. "It would make it harder for you two to get to know each other more. He's already starting to like you and I don't want that to be tainted. Does it make sense to you?"

"I get it and it's all right." He flashed a smile and pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry if it feels like I'm moving too fast, but you've seen that side of me and it's hard restraining myself when I think of myself with you."

"I know." She pulled back and ran her fingers through his dark hair, feeling the smooth and clean feeling she always remembered. "I remember all of that. You're a smooth talker, but I was easy to lasso because I just wanted to trust someone and I was tired of running."

Cupping her face gently, Munch smiled warmly at her. "I'm glad you trusted me and still do."

"Well, you still trusted me when I returned. I don't know anyone who would have turned up on their former lover's hotel room door in the rain and drunk off their rocker."

He gave her a cocky smile and turned slightly red. "I still feel pretty embarrassed about that. It's not the first time I've done that, but I don't want it to happen again, either."

"Don't worry about it, John." She chuckled softly and pressed her lips to his nose. "Don't worry about it at all. I'm glad you did, though. It explained everything that was happening with you."

He closed his eyes at the contact and leaned in slightly. "God, I missed you."

"I missed you, too."

"Just stay with me for a little bit?" John wanted her to stay with him for a little while that night before heading into her own room. After her last explanation about why they couldn't have sex, he knew better then to ask for that. All he wanted was for her to stay that for a small moment of the night. "Please?"

Biting down on her bottom lip and lowering her eyes as she began thinking about it, she took a hold of his hands in her's and looked at their connected hands. "I'll stay for a few hours, but I'll have to get back to my room before morning or Scott will begin to wonder. I don't want him to freak out on you."

"That's fine and I'm sure we'll get more chances to be alone together during my time here as I get to know Scott more." He gripped her fingers in his hands before releasing them to get fully changed for bed. Turning his back to her as he undid his belt to remove his slacks, he chuckled to himself. "Maybe we can also take a shower together?"

Maria laughed as loud as she could without waking Scott and leaned back against the wall. "Maybe we can. Scott has school during the mornings, so we can fit that in if you want. One step at a time though, hun."

"Oh, I know." He pulled on his black night scrubs and took the time to place his clothes in a hamper she provided for him. "Just thought I would ask."

She grinned and moved aside for him to sit beside her. "It's always good to ask," she whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Want to lay down together?"

"I would like that." Moving to stand up and helping Maria up to her feet, he kept his eyes on her as she reached under her shirt and undid a piece of clothing to toss into the hamper and make herself more comfortable. Keeping their eye contact, Munch removed her glasses and laid down on the futon with Frank following right behind him. They fit perfectly together in each other's arms and they both held onto each other as tightly as they could. "I've had dreams of us doing this," he whispered a few minutes into their cuddling.

Maria slightly smiled and closed her eyes as she settled down deeper into his arms. "I always figured you would have had dreams of us making love instead."

"That too, but I have more dreams about this then that." Munch slipped his hand under her shirt and felt her warm and soft skin under his fingers."I miss this," he muttered, lifting her shirt slightly and taking a peek at his long lost two best friends. "I have missed these two as well."

Giggling and wrapping her arms around his neck, she didn't stop him from lifting her shirt up and peering down at her breasts with a gaze that made her face grow red. It had been so long since she had felt him touching her, let alone a man. Since becoming a mother, Maria had been overly protective about Scott due to what she worked with and had never allowed any other man into her life. Trembling slightly when his fingers touched her lightly, she pressed her face into his neck and sighed. She didn't want it to end.

An hour later, Maria slowly and carefully extracted herself from John's sleeping arms. She had drifted off for a moment and had woken up a few minutes ago to discover he was in a deep, deep sleep. Gently kissing his lips and tucking the blanket around him, Frank took a moment to gaze down at him and run her fingers through his hair - something he always had done when she slept. When he sighed at her touch and leaned in unconsciously, Frank very slowly removed her hand and quietly closed the door to sleep in her own bed.

**To be continued...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer - Maria Frank and Scott Frank are mine. Created by me. John Munch belongs to Law and Order: SVU. Adult content because I can't resist!**

Next morning:

Hearing muffled voices in his sleep, John stirred and quickly noticed how brightly the sun was shining. Draping the comforter over his head to block out the light, he strained to hear the muffled voices. One of them was definitely Maria's, but he couldn't place the second voice that was also a woman's. Once the voices faded and what sounded like a door shutting, he heard a chair pull back and then silence.

For the next few minutes, Munch attempted to drift back to sleep until he heard the sound of 'click click' on the wooden floor of his room. Moving the comforter a little, he peered out and noticed a large black dog staring at him. "'Ello there," he muttered, reaching a hand out to stroke the black and grey muzzle. "Good to see you again, Alex." The aging black German Shepherd heaved a sigh and pushed himself up into the futon, laying down closely to Munch. "I missed you too, buddy." He reached a hand out and scratched an ear.

"It's nice to see Alex with you," came a voice from the doorway. Lifting his head, John saw Maria standing there with a small smile. "He's the same way with Scott, too. Always gets up on the bed when he begins to stir."

"How'd you know I was awake?" He sat up and leaned up against the wall.

Frank shrugged and sat down on the edge of the futon, running her hand through Alex's dark fur. "I don't know. Something just told me you were up and Alex wasn't in his doggy bed in the living room, where he always is during the day." Her eyes scanned over his ruffled hair and the unshaven look on his chin. "By the way, that was a friend picking up Scott for school. We do carpooling and this month is, thankfully, not my month so I can be here for you."

John grinned and reached a hand out to touch her shoulder, allowing his fingers to graze her neck. "I'm glad you are." He watched as she moved closer and sat next to him. "Sure you want to be this close to me? I could do something _naughty._"

"I've practically experienced almost every naughty thing that has come from you," Maria replied softly, linking her fingers with his. "I don't mind being close to you at all. In fact," she scooted closer, "I wouldn't mind being closer."

Glancing down at their linked fingers, Munch lifted her hand and - making eye contact with her - kissed her fingers softly. When she rested her head on his shoulder and nudged his neck with her nose and lips, he felt compelled to wrap his arm around her and pull Maria in for a rather heated kiss. When he felt her place her hands on his neck and pull him closer, he gently laid her down on the sheets and careful lay himself on top of her. Feeling himself growing stiff at the thought and image of plunging into her for the first time in years, it took all of his strength to control himself from ripping their clothes off and letting his eyes indulge on her beauty.

Maria could feel a hard bulge nudging her thigh from where they laid and wrapped her arms firmly around him. She wanted to and craved to feel him entering her, but she couldn't bring herself to requesting it after telling him they couldn't just yet. Feeling his hands slipping under her shirt and his mouth nibbling her neck before soothing the nips with licks, Frank's hands began slipping under his sleep scrub shirt and felt along the muscles on his back and arms. Her mind was screaming for them to stop, but it felt so right to her. Turning her head to one side and seeing a photo of Scott with his arms around Alex's neck, her eyes widened. "Wait," Maria placed her hands on his chest and gently pushed him back. "Please stop."

Instantly stopping and pulling away, Munch softly panted and held her hands in his as he watched her face. "What's the matter?"

Shaking her head and licking her lips, Frank grasped his hands and took a moment to compose herself. "I promised myself we wouldn't make love yet and I had already told you about that as well-"

"Yes, we did." John was starting to feel slightly flustered and inhaled a deep breath to calm himself. He wanted nothing more then to be with her and they had been so close, it hurt.

Frank caught his tone of voice and glanced up at him over her glasses. "Look, we talked about this and you took it a whole lot better then you're taking it now. What we had going on there was beyond amazing and I didn't want to stop, but we have to for Scott's sake." She kept her voice level and made sure she kept his attention. "He's a smart kid and the relationship you two are already starting to gradually form with be broken when he finds out we've already jumped to the final base and it's not even a full second day since you got here."

John swallowed at her words. "He would figure it out that fast?"

"He has your intelligence, John. He's not used to seeing me in bed with another person - let alone a man. It would taint the already thin bond you two already have. We can still get a chance to see each other without clothes on, hold each other and kiss with endless passion, but it'll be a few more days before we can really rock our worlds." She placed her hand on the side of his face and ran her thumb along his bottom lip. "I know it drives you crazy having to hold back, but just hold on for a few days. Let him get more comfortable with you."

Smiling at her, Munch tilted his head and took her thumb into his mouth. He teeth lightly brushed against it and he took in the joy of feeling the thumb pad on his tongue. When Maria heavily swallowed and licked her lips, he knew he gained the upper hand. "We can still shower together?" He asked softly when she pulled her hand away.

"Of course we can."

M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M

"Can I ask you something?" John sat down at the table with a mug of tea in front of him. After they shared a delightful shower together, he took his time getting dressed and observed how everything was set up in the kitchen so he could his way around without much help. Once the tea bags and mugs were discovered, it didn't take him long to get a steaming mug of water ready.

Maria was sitting across from him with a case file open before her with notes spread out. "Sure."

Munch stared down at his mug and thought over his words carefully. "I understand you don't want us to have sex yet since you don't want us to move too fast again, but can I mention a few things that might ease your mind?" She nodded her head and kept her attention on him. "Before our first time, I had asked if you trusted me with the huge step we were taking."

Tilting her head to one side, Frank quickly remembered it and nodded. "Right. I remember you saying that."

"Well," He sighed softly, not knowing if it was going to annoy her or get him laid. "I don't know what I'm trying to say, actually, but I guess I'm just trying to tell you we had complete trust in each other at that time, despite moving so fast."

"I know, John, and I've had that going through my mind for a while now, but let's just wait. It's for Scott's sake since I don't want him to freak out at seeing you and I coming out of the room together or to come in around the middle of the night when he's had a nightmare and see you there with me. Like I've said, it wouldn't go over well with the relationship you two are working on." Maria placed a hand over his and gave it a squeeze. "We will, but if you keep asking and pestering about it, it's not going to make it go faster."

Giving a small smile and shrugging, Munch looked down at her case file and nodded his head towards it. "What do you have there?"

"The usual. Husband rape and abuses wife and she's still returning to his side, thinking it's all her fault. At least there are no children involved in it." She waved her hand as if waving it away and went back to writing something down. "Same old, same old."

"How...how can you do this with Scott to take care of?" John asked with a quizzical look on his face. "I can't see myself doing this job while having a young child to care for at the same time."

Raising her head slowly and exhaling a rather slow breath, Frank stared at him with rather sad eyes and answered, "So I can remove as many bastards as I can from the world and preventing them from touching our son." She placed her pen down and leaned back a little in her chair. "I wanted to quit while I was ahead of it all, but I couldn't knowing it was going to hang over my head of 'is that person being investigated?' or 'is this person an unknown sex offender?' without knowing the inside work I'm involved in with catching these people."

Munch gave her a small nod in understanding and hoped he didn't upset her too much. He had only been with Special Victims for three years and he was still trying to figure out the ropes with certain situations. He really did understand what she was saying and wasn't nodding his head to be polite, but he really hoped she wasn't upset. "I'm sorry if I upset you in any way, Mar." He said softly. "If I did, I really, truly apologize."

Maria shook her head and used the palm of her hand to wipe away the tears from her eyes. "No, it's okay. If I didn't cry every now and then when I think about it, there would be something wrong with me." She sniffled a little and blinked back more tears. "I'm okay."

"I...didn't mean to make you cry," John quickly said as he moved to sit next to her. "I'm so sorry." He placed his hands on her shoulders and shifted his head to look into her face better. What he saw broke his heart; tears were streaming down her face. "Oh, Jesus. I'm very sorry."

"It's not your fault. I do this just about once a week or so." She muttered, placing her hands on his shoulders and giving them a firm squeeze. "Don't think you caused this, John. This was bound to happen sooner or later while you're here and it's better it happened now with Scott in school so he doesn't have to see this."

"Has he seen this before?"

"Yeah," she nodded her head quickly. "I just told him it was from something I had been watching and he accepting it. I-I don't want him to know I work sex crimes. I fight against people who would rape and molest him and call that 'loving' a child."

Wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly, John felt her fingers grip the front of his shirt and press her face against him. "Will he learn about it when he's older?"

She nodded her head against his chest and moved her arms to wrap around his neck. "He will, but it will be a slow process. I don't want to drop it all onto his lap in one go." Maria pressed her face against his neck and held on tightly. "Please don't let me go."

"I won't." John placed a hand on the back of her head and gently stroked her hair, hoping it would calm her more. "I'm not letting you go."

"Thank you."

* * *

><p>John leaned back in on the couch and blew out a breath. Once Maria was able to stabilize herself and finish with what was before her, they took a chance to stretch out on the couch and relax together. After a while, she fell asleep against him and he was left flipping through channels to find something to pass the time. Finding a station to watch and lowering the volume a little, he wrapped one arm around her back and used his other to gently caress her cheek as she slept against him.<p>

Scott wasn't due home for a few hours due to having a play date after school, which left them having some quiet time together. Running his fingers through her hair and resting his cheek on top of her head, he wanted nothing else to do except make love with her and ease the pain she had felt earlier, but he knew it wasn't going to happen yet.

Instead, he held her close and kissed her forehead, cheek and lips every time she sighed or moved in his arms. He looked around the room at the various framed photos on the walls and smiled. He hadn't felt left out since he arrived the day before and Scott was slowly becoming more and more used to him as time went on.

Looking at one photo of Maria in the hospital and holding newborn Scott, he could have sworn the child appeared to look like him from the photos he had seen of himself as an infant. He looked that much like him in the photos at his own mother's house. She certainly looked exhausted in the photo after having the C-section, but she was very proud and couldn't stop glowing. He smiled to himself when he felt her stir in his arms and tucked a dark strand of hair behind her ear. "Better?"

Wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her face into his shoulder, Maria gently stroked the back of his neck and whispered, "Can I admit something to you?"

Furrowing his brows in concern, John sat up straighter. "Yes, of course."

Inhaling a deep breath and bracing herself up with her hands, she bit down on her bottom lip for a moment and pressed her lips to his gently, she whispered softly, "I want you to be dead honest with me."

Slightly confused by her actions, John placed his hands on the side of her face and stared straight into her eyes. "'kay."

Beginning slowly, she started to speak softly. "When we met up again, I wanted you terribly. But... when I met Billie Lou," she paused for a moment to see his dark eyes flicker in curiosity of what she was talking about. "I thought twice about it. I didn't want to be drawn into that bitter fight you two were having over the divorce and how cold she was being towards you. Am I right?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Don't think ill of me or get too upset with me, but the reason I've been dragging my feet about us going to bed together isn't just because of Scott, but because of you. I-I just can't get over this feeling in my gut that you might still be with her and are trying to find a way to get to me." Frank lowered her eyes and stared at the buttons of his shirt in hopes of seeing his reaction from his breathing.

John felt saddened over this. He knew she had trust issues, but he felt terrible knowing she was having trust issues with _him_. "How can I prove to you that I'm not with her anymore?" He placed one hand under her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. "What can I do?"

"I-I don't know," she answered at a whisper, gripping his shirt under her hands as her chin began to tremble.

Sighing, Munch moved to sit up straighter and slowly removed his glasses. Maria watched him place them on the coffee table with a blank stare and felt his fingers slip under her chin to look into her eyes again. "I promise, from the bottom of my already tortured heart, I am done with her. Everything's done and she's out of my life. I just want you and Scott now and no one else. I want to make love with you, play ball with Scott, sit at the dinner table with you two beside me during meals. I want what my brother has." He heavily swallowed and wrapped his arms her. "I want to wake up with you in my arms every morning."

Quietly crying into his shoulder, Frank squeezed her eyes shut and realized she had been an idiot. "I'm so sorry I assumed any of that."

He sadly smiled and pulled away to run his hands through her hair. "It's all a learning process for both of us and we can do it together with Scott by our side." He tilted his head to one side and kissed her gently. "Let's go to bed together."

Nodding her head slowly, Maria licked her lips and said softly, "Let me make a phone call real quick." She moved off of him and headed to her phone, feeling him walking behind her. Once she made the call for Scott to stay a few more hours longer at his play date, his arms wrapped around her waist and held her tightly against him. "John?"

"Hm?" Pushed aside a part of her shirt and kissed her shoulder.

"We have three hours to spare." She sucked in some air when his fingers slipped under her shirt and grazed against her stomach, sending chills up her spine. "Think that will be enough time for us?"

"Plenty," he whispered, lightly grazing his tongue along her earlobe before taking it into his mouth. She stiffed up and grasped his arms with her hands. "How comfortable is your bed?"

Maria let out a small whimper and turned in his arms wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a deep and powerful kiss. "It's beyond comfortable." She smiled and started to giggle when his grin grew bigger, taking her hands and leading them both in the direction of her room.

Pushing the door open and seeing the perfectly made bed before them, John felt himself growing stiffer every second and they hadn't really done anything yet. Maria walked in front of him and pulled him in by the hand, a sly smile playing across her lips. He quietly shut the bedroom door and pulled her in for a rather deep and passionate kiss, running his hands along her shoulders and down to her waist.

Breaking it for just a second, he pulled her shirt over her head and reached behind her to unsnap her bra. Munch happily gazed upon her and his hands reached up to cup her breasts as he went back to assaulting her mouth once more. Feeling her hands tugging on his belt and loosening it, he smiled against her lips and moved his hands to her belt, loosening it as well.

With a gentle push onto the bed and running his hands down Maria's legs, John locked eyes with her's as he pulled her jeans down and slipped his fingers under the hem of her panties. Once she fully laid back and lifted her hips as a sign of permission, he slipped them off and quickly finished undressing himself, a condom in his hand. He paused for a moment when he felt a hand slip into his and saw her sitting up. "Mar? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Can I help you finish getting undressed?" Maria placed her hand on the top of his slacks and unzipped them, all the while keeping her eyes on his. When he didn't object, she slipped her hands under his boxers and eased both slacks and boxers down, freeing him completely. Once he removed his stockings and stepped out of his clothes, John tilted his head back when her hand reached up to caress his hardened member. "Like that?"

He exhaled a slow breath and grinned. "I don't like it. I love it," he answered, running a hand through her hair. "However, if you keep that up, we won't be able to get down to business."

"We don't want that to happen," she answered softly as she scooted back and laid down on the bed, using a finger to beckon him closer. "I shouldn't have waited-"

"Don't." John cut her off softly as he eased the condom on and moved to hover over her. "Let's not think about that," he whispered softly as he kissed her, exploring her mouth as one hand slipped down between Maria's legs. When she gasped into his mouth and bucked up, he moved to suck on her neck and chuckled when she moaned as he caressed her gently. "Do _you_ like this?" He grinned against her ear, using her words from earlier.

"John," she whimpered his name and pressed her face against his shoulder. "Please, I-I can't..." She gripped his biceps and shuddered. She felt his knees push her legs farther apart and he replaced his hand with his tip prodding her entrance. Part of Maria's mind wanted him to take her hard with unleashed passion, but another part of her wanted him to take it a little slower. It had been a while since she had felt a man physically taking her. "John, please."

Trailing a path from her shoulder to the center of her chest with his mouth, Munch raised his eyes to see her tilting her head to watch him with her mouth open and slightly panting. He wasn't going to do it just yet as he wanted her fully prepared for him. He slowly and gently ran his hands along her arms and linked his fingers with her's, pressing their palms firmly together as he slipped his mouth over a breast.

Whimpering even more and arching her back, Frank gripped his fingers harder and squirmed under his body. Her squirming caused John's member to briefly enter her slightly and she gasp out. She was craving for what he wanted to give her and he was teasing her instead. "God, I need you, John."

"I know you do," he whispered hotly as he slipped his mouth over her's once more passionately, his hands moving from her own to under her hips, lifting them up as she arched her back when she felt him prodding her a little more. "How bad do you want it?"

Groaning and flashing a small smile when he gently kissed the base of her throat, Maria ran her fingers through his hair and pulled him down for a gentle kiss, nibbling his bottom lip softly. "You want to know how bad I want it?" She asked at a whisper, seeing him nod once. She reached a hand down and gently cupped his package, causing him to bit down on his bottom lip and moan heavily. "I want you terribly. I want to loved _and_ fucked at the same time."

Closing his eyes for a moment when she released him, Munch wrapped his arms around her and they rolled over with Maria on top. She straddled his stomach and grinned up at her as she ran her hands along his chest. "I want you on top first, if that's all right with you."

"Works for me," she replied happily, feeling his hands on her bare hips. Lifting herself up and taking a hold of him, Maria very slowly and carefully lowered herself down on him, biting down on her lower lip. It surprisingly hurt and she froze for a moment, attempting to relax her muscles. "Man, this hurts right now."

Shushing her gently and reaching for a small lube packet he had placed there seconds before, John ripped it open and squeezed some onto his fingers. "Get up for a second and let's try this," he suggested, smearing what he had on the head of his hard member. "Maybe that will help you a little more." Holding himself still and placing one hand on her cheek, he softly and gently coaxed her as she began lowering herself down once more.

Groaning softly and gripping the sheets under her hands, Frank exhaled a shuddering breath when she was fully seated on him. "Damn, I forgot about this," she whispered softly with a small smile.

"What? Sex?" He tucked a dark strand of hair behind her ear. Maria smiled sheepishly and muttered something he couldn't hear. "Say that one more time, sweetheart."

She sucked up her pride and muttered louder, "Your size. I forgot about your size." She glanced at him with her sheepish smile and felt her face growing red when he started laughing. "What?" She asked, dragging the word out and felt herself starting to really relax.

"You never cease to surprise me, Mar." He explained between laughing. "You never do." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her slowly down for a hug, never breaking their contact. "I love you, Maria."

"I love you, too," she grinned, returning his affection in a tight hug. Sitting up and linking their fingers together, Maria tossed her head back as they began to move as one. It had been so long since they had made love, she had just about forgotten what amazing pleasure he provided for her.

John rocked his hips slowly as she rose and fell, enjoying the sensations the rocking motion was giving. Ten minutes in, Maria released his hands from hers and leaned over to press her lips to his, exploring each other's mouths hungrily. Allowing his hands to explore her slowly and lovingly, Munch nibbled on her bottom lip and buried his face into her shoulder with her hair making a curtain around them. Deeply groaning and dragging his fingernails along her back, he was quickly nearing his climax and Maria wasn't far behind.

Placing one hand on the back of his neck and using the other for support, Frank tossed her head back as he began exploring her chest hungrily with unleashed passion erupting from his body. Both sitting up with Maria straddling his lap and continuing to move, John placed his hands on her waist and kissed her passionately with her tightly around him as they began nearing oncoming climaxes.

Whispering each other's names and holding on tightly, they shuddered as they climaxed together and Maria grounded herself firmly on him to achieve maximum pleasure to heighten their orgasms. John thought he had died and gone to heaven when she grounded herself onto him one last time. Laying back down on the bed heavily and still holding her to him, Munch closed his eyes for a moment and smiled. There were no words that could describe what he was feeling at that moment.

Opening his eyes and gazing deeply into Maria's, he was quickly disturbed to seeing tears clouding her eyes and became concerned. "Oh, God. What's the matter? I didn't hurt you, did I?" He sat up and cupped her chin, not wanting to extract himself if she was in pain.

Shaking her head and taking a hold of his hands, she inhaled a shuddering breath and allowed the tears to flow down her cheeks. "No, no. You didn't hurt me." She flashed a smile through her tears. "I missed you so much."

John placed a hand on the back of her head and pulled her down for a gentle kiss, feeling her tears landing on his cheeks. "I love you," he whispered before claiming her lips once more. "I love you so much." Deepening the kiss and wrapping his arms firmly around her bare back, he slowly rolled them over with her back against the mattress and gently extracted himself. "I'll be right back," he assured gently when he felt her nails digging into his back.

Grinning from ear to ear, Maria relaxed her hands and allowed him to pull away from her body, feeling her body beginning to glow as he pressed his lips along her body while moving back. When his fingers grazed along her left calf as he stood up, she couldn't help shuddering and wishing he wasn't pulling away at that second. He was going to return, but she didn't want him to leave at that moment.

Closing her eyes for a moment and inhaling a deep breath, Frank placed a hand on her neck and felt it tingling a little. There was certainly going to be a mark there later from the way he worked her over. Hearing water running in the bathroom and being turned off, she knew he was going to be back at any moment and couldn't stop smiling.

"You're dogs keep looking at me funny," John brought up as he walked back into the bedroom, shutting the door. "It's like they've never seen a naked man walking around."

"They're not." Maria laughed as she wrapped her arms around him. "They are used to seeing me chase a five year old to get him into the tub when he doesn't want to. They are not used to see a fully grown naked man."

Pressing his lips against her neck and using one hand to caress the other side of her neck, John smirked and whispered, "I think it's high time for them to get used to it."

"I do, too," she agreed happily and turned her head to kiss him with hot passion. It didn't take long for either one to feel ready for another round and Maria scooted perfectly under John's body as he reached down into his wallet and pulled a condom packet out. "You've been carrying more than one condom around?"

John shrugged and sat up to open it. "I'm John Munch. C'mon." He laughed when she grinned and shook her head, carefully rolling the protection onto himself. "I'd rather have protection on me than being stuck in an awkward situation and it's not about cheating." He moved back to hovering over Frank and lightly kissed her. "I'd rather be with you than with anyone else."

Maria wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a heated kiss, her tongue battling with his. "I'm glad. I'd hate having to battle other women just to have fun with you," she giggled. When his hands slipped under her thighs and spread her legs wide, she arched her back and ran her hands down his chest, past his navel and curled her fingers through his dark curls. When her fingers grazed along his hard erection, Frank watched with heavy lust in her eyes at the sight of John tossing his head back and gasping her name. "Ready?" She asked heavily, her hands going back up to lightly scratch his chest and nipples.

"More than ready," he replied hotly, leaning down to deeply kiss her and easing himself in, groaning deeply into his throat when she ran her nails along his back. Barely pausing to allow her to grow used to his presence, Munch broke the kiss and pressed his forehead against her's and began to thrust without any signs of being gentle, enjoying the noises Maria made.

Wrapping her arms around his sweaty back and enjoying the feeling of his muscles moving under her hands, Frank squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated on John's heavy breathing and gasping words of love against her ear. The feel of his body making contact with hers with every thrust drove her even closer to the mind-blowing orgasm she had been craving to feel him give her. There was no other place she wanted to be than in his arms.

**To be continued...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer - Maria Frank and Scott Frank are my own creations. John Munch belongs to Law and Order: SVU. **

"Thank you for the ride, Mrs. Gromes." Scott opened to door to the apartment after he was walked up by his friend's mother. Closing the door and reaching up to lock it, he placed his spiderman backpack next to the coat rack and kicked off his shoes. First thing was to greet the dogs and look for mom for a snack. He wrapped his arms around Alex's graying neck and gave him a big hug. "Hi, Alex!"

"Did you hear that?" Maria whispered softly, lifting her head from laying against John's bare chest and staring at the door. "I think Scott's home already." She glanced at the nightstand clock and muttered, "Shit!" Pulling her naked body from John's arms and reaching for her clothes, she pulled on her panties and fished around for her bra. "Can't believe I lost track of time."

John sat up and leaned back on his hands. "It would really shock him to see us together?"

Reaching under the bed and finding John's shirt there, she tossed aside the thought of wondering how it got under there and answered, "With us naked, yes. As I've said, he's never seen or known a man being in bed with me before and it would cause him shock and would possibly freak him out. The kid's smarter than the average con artist some days and would have a hard time trusting you if he did see this." Maria found her bra under his slacks and pulled it on.

Silently agreeing with it, Munch laid back down and placed his hands behind his head. "Well, are we able to do things in front of him to show it's okay?" When she sat on the bed, he bent his knee to save it from being sat on and watched her pull on her socks. "I mean, like with us being on the couch or something like that?"

"That will be fine doing it like that. For now, I need to get out there and distract him so you can get your fine ass out of my bed and back into your room." She tossed him his boxer briefs and attempted to straighten her hair with her fingers. "You better move fast, too. His ears are pretty sharp." Maria mentioned as a last thing as she slipped out the door and closed it behind her. "Hey, Scott! How as school?"

The five year old grinned as he finished petting Ace and ran up to jump into her arms. "I drew you a picture today!"

"You did? What is it?" She placed him back down and he headed for his backpack. "Would you like me to put it on the fridge?" She looked over at the kitchen and took note to what space was left on one side of the refrigerator.

He stuffed his arm into the bag until it was up to his shoulder and he fished it out. "I drew one of John, too!" He pulled the folder out and looked around the apartment, noticing someone was missing. "Wait...where is he?"

"He'll be right out," Maria answered with a smile, having seen Munch hustle from one room to another from the corner of her eye. "How about placing them on the table and I work on your snack?" She quickly mixed together some oatmeal with apple pieces in it and set it on the table for Scott, just about the same time John came out of his room. "Scott says he drew a picture for you."

Munch's dark eyebrows rose and he eyed the small boy. "Really?" He slipped into a chair and patted the folder with a finger. "Is it in here?" The five year old nodded his head eagerly. "Can I see it?" He nodded again and John carefully opened the folder to see his name - Scott Otto Frank - written in with a dark marker. In one side of the folder, he saw one hand drawn picture of what looked liked three people and two dogs. "Is this it?"

Scott got onto his knees to see better and answered, "Yes, that's it." He watched as John pulled it out and carefully observed the man's face. The crayon colored picture showed three people - man, woman and a child - holding hands with two black dogs beside the child. The three people easily resembled them and John could feel a lump in his throat. "So, what do you think of it?"

He couldn't find the right way to say how much he loved it and how important it felt to him to be included in a picture of holding hands with the boy. Clearing his throat and blinking a few times to keep tears back, Munch looked up at the boy and answered softly, "I love it, Scott. I truly love it." The boy's face brightened up and he went back to eating his oatmeal happily. "I'm going to put this in my suitcase. I'll be right back."

Maria watched him head down the hallway and swallowed heavily. She didn't see the drawing, but from noticing his reaction, it had touched him deeply. Taking the folder in her hands and opening it to see what Scott had drawn for her, she couldn't contain her smile. It was a drawing of her and John holding hands, flowers in each of their hands. "This is really nice, Scott," She commented, placing a hand on his shoulder when he turned his head and grinned. "I'm going to go see what's taking John and then we can watch a movie, okay?"

When he nodded in reply, she rose from the table and headed down to her office and softly knocked on the door. When she got a muffled reply, Maria slowly opened the door and saw Munch laying on the makeshift bed with an arm over his eyes. "Did you see the picture?" He asked quietly, his voice cracking.

When she shook her head, he pointed to the desk where he had placed it and picked it up. "Oh, my."

"Isn't that amazing?" He sat up a little and wiped his eyes with a tissue. "I barely know the kid and he draws that." Tears started to roll down his face once more and John struggled to hold his emotions back. "God, if I had just called or something..."

Frank wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him into a hug, shushing him gently. "It's all right. Calling wouldn't have made a difference. Either way, we would still end up in this situation."

He exhaled a slow breath and raised his face up at the ceiling. "I want to make it up to him. I want to prove that we can be like that drawing."

"We can easily do that, John," she whispered, pressing her face into his neck. "We can be like that." She felt him turning his head in her direction and gently nuzzle the top of her head. "I want you two to become best friends, not just a parent and his child."

"What about us?" He asked carefully, fearing what her answer was going to be.

"There's nothing to worry about when it comes to us. We love each other and that's that. I wanted you to be here for Scott and for me." Maria answered honestly, taking a hold of his hand and interlacing their fingers together, palms touching. "I don't want us to be separated again."

John smiled and turned his head to press his lips against her's.

* * *

><p>Few days later -<p>

John waited patiently outside Scott's kindergarten school building. After much un-needed pleading and begging from the five year old, Maria broke down laughing and allowed the boy to have his wish for John to pick him up from school instead.

Not like Munch was going to argue with it anyway. He had finally managed to get a hang of the town to a certain point so he wouldn't get lost. According to Maria, the kindergarten classes were on the first level of the building and were due to release the young students at noon. Every now and then, John caught a glimpse of a teacher or even a student walking in front of the windows, depending on the height the shadow cast.

Hearing the faint sound of the bell chiming, he watched as a teacher stepped out first before a stream of five and six year olds began to pour out of the building. A few met up with parents standing by the playground fence, some piled into cars and the rest lined up for the buses. He caught sight of Scott shuffling along with other classmates and waved out the window to get the youngster's attention.

He waved back and opened the back door of the car, climbing inside to strap himself into his car seat. "I am glad you came, John!" Scott hadn't been able to find the right way to call John 'dad', but neither Maria or John were going to rush him. When he felt comfortable, he would.

"Hey, sport. How was school today?" He reached back to make sure he was properly strapped it before pulling away from the curb. "Your mom said we can head to the playground for a little while. She even packed you a snack."

The five year old leaned forward in his seat and noticed the lunch box on the front seat. "School was good! We learned some more numbers today and how to spell longer words."

"How exciting! What numbers did you learn today?" He glanced in the review mirror and grinned when the boy smiled at his reflection.

Scott counted his fingers a little and answered, "We started at twenty and ended at fifty. There are a lot of numbers out there. It is like it never ends."

"It sure doesn't! What words did you learn to spell?"

"We learned how to spell mouse, train, circle, and square." He pulled at his backpack and tried to reach for his folder. "We have homework and have to learn how to spell two more words - monkey and boat." He waved the piece of paper that was his homework right over John's shoulder and he took it when they met a stop sign.

He looked it over and took note of Scott's handwriting at the top and smiled to himself. _Just like mine when I was his age. _"Has it been hard learning how to write these words?"

"Sometimes," He answered, taking the paper back and putting it back in his folder. "Doing words with 'O' and 'A' are harder and so are the 'I' and 'A' words."

"You'll get it, Scott. I got it when I was learning and you'll get it, too." He pulled into a parking spot at the playground and park, turning around in his seat to smile at the boy. "It seems hard now, but with a lot of help from your mom and I, you will be able to do it."

Scott shrugged and pulled at his car seat belt. "I guess so." He looked out the window and grinned. "I want to go on the swings!" He wiggled with excitement as Munch unstrapped him and released him to sprint off to the swings. Looking around to see if there was anything or anyone suspicious around, John was feeling protective over the young boy and headed over to the swings with the lunch box in hand to give him a few pushes until he was swinging well on his own. "Mom's always doing this and then sitting in the swing next to me," he brought up giggling as John gave him on last push.

"She likes to join you on the swings?" He smiled at the thought of her joining him on the swings. Seeing there wasn't really anyone around who would want the empty swing next to Scott, John sat down in it and smiled to himself. "Boy, it's been a while since I've been on a swing."

"How come?"

John thought for a moment of how to explain it to him. "Well, because I work a lot than a used to when I was a kid and never really had a chance to get back on a swing."

"That's silly. When I grow up, I'm going to find the time to be on the swings. I like being on the swings." Scott stopped pumping his legs and slowed down. "Can't you find the time to get on the swings?"

He ran his hand through his hair and thought about it. The kid certainly felt comfortable enough to ask him many questions. "Where I worked when I met your mom, there was a few swings on the roof of the building I worked in. The roof area used to be a ballroom. I would get a chance to sit on them, but never had enough time to just sit there for more than a minute."

The five year old nodded his head and stared John right in the face with a serious look. "You still like my mom, don't you?"

_Uhhh, _was all his brain could come up with. It wasn't just the question but it was also the look on the boy's face that showed how serious he really was. Maria was right, the kid was fucking intelligent. "Well," He scratched the back of his head and stared at the ground. "I do. That's part of the reason why I came up to see you two. When she went on that trip a few years ago, we met up again and she told me about you and I wanted to come visit."

"The trip where she had to find the bad guy?"

"Yes." He was astonished about the boy's memory. He had to have been three when she left for Baltimore when their former boss, Gee, was shot.

Scott looked down at the ground and shuffled the dirt with his sneakers. "She still likes you." He raised his head and Munch got to see the extremely dark eyes - his eyes. "I hear her saying your name when she thinks I'm not there or when she's crying, she says your name like she's begging for you to hear her."

John observed him sadly and inhaled a deep breath. "Thanks for telling me."

He nodded his head and rubbed his hands on his jeans. "Well, you're my dad."

M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M

"You should have heard was he said at the park when we were talking about you." John began softly after helping Maria get Scott into the tub. The sound of him playing with his tub toys was reassuring.

Maria reached up for a few towels and asked, "You two were talking about me?"

"I guess it's what guys do. They talk about their women." He playfully flinched when she lightly punched his arm. "Anyway, he had asked me if I still liked you, he mentioned you still like me." He took a quick note of her face growing slightly pink and inwardly smiled. "I thanked him for telling me and he said flat out said that I'm his dad."

She smiled and peeked into the bathroom to see him playing with a boat and making explosion sounds. "I'm glad he's finally come out about it. Only your third night here and he's calling you 'dad'." She placed the towels on the sink counter and softly giggled when he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the back of her neck, still out of Scott's view. "Maybe we'll be able to show affection around him sooner than I thought."

Chuckling and lightly pressing her up against the wall, John pressed his waist up against her back and whispered, "That would be _fantastic_."

Biting down on her bottom lip and holding back a giggle when his fingers lightly grazed across her stomach, Frank reached a hand back and grazed her hand along the front of his slacks. She could already feel him reacting to her touch. "You need to hold on until tomorrow. Scott's having a sleepover at a friend's house and we'll get the place all to ourselves."

Exhaling a held breath against her ear, Munch slowly removed his hand from her stomach and playfully and roughly turned her around to face him. "A sleepover?"

"Yes. Every Thursday, he spends the night at a friend's house and they go to school together on Friday. Been a routine since they were three." She took her chance to grasp his wrists when he started gliding them up to touch her chest, but he leaned in and crushed her lips under his. Keeping her ears alert to all sounds in the bathroom, Maria released his wrists and wrapped her arms around his neck. John's arms wrapped around her waist and allowed her access to taste him over and over again. They just couldn't get enough of each other.

"Mamma?" Scott called from the tub, noticing it was getting quite quiet in the hallway. Frowning slightly and waving bubbles off his wet hair, he took a deep breath and called louder, "MOM!"

Maria broke the kiss with a groan and pressed her face into John's slumped shoulders. "Crap," she muttered. "Yes, Scott?"

"I need help finishing my bath!" He rubbed the back of his ears with a washcloth and and grimaced. He hated washing behind his ears. "I need help washing behind my ears, too."

"Hold on a second," she replied back, sighing softly and running her fingers through his hair. "I guess we can continue this later."

John nuzzled her neck and breathed against her ear. "I guess so." He peeked into the bathroom and saw Scott sitting in the tub with a small frown on his face. "He looks impatient. What help does he need?"

"His ears, back, and few other places." She turned into the bathroom and rolled up her sleeves. "His feet, too. He's very ticklish between the toes and needs help washing and drying them. Want to help?"

"He won't mind?"

Scott stood up and placed his hands on the edge of the tub. "I won't mind! Mom needs help when washing my toes, too." He slipped back down in the tub until just his head was visible and he laughed.

Maria shrugged and motioned to John's sleeves. "Roll 'em up! He likes to kick when being tickled."

* * *

><p>John rubbed his right forearm and kept a bag of frozen peas on it. "I didn't notice he would kick so hard."<p>

"He has wicked feet," Maria sighed as she joined him on the bed. "He did apologize until he was blue in the face."

"Look, there are toe-shaped imprints in this bruise!" He leaned back against the headboard and outlined it with his fingers. "Impressive."

Maria leaned over to see the imprint and chuckled. "It'll be gone by morning," She whispered softly into his ear, grinned when he turned his head to look at her. "I promise it will be. You don't need to worry about explaining how you were beaten by a five year old."

"That would be a hell of a time." He smirked and started toying with the buttons of her shirt. When she didn't stop him, Munch effortlessly undid them and slipped his hands under to help her ease her arms out. "Much better."

She giggled and held back a gasp when he leaned down and nipped at her collar bone. "John?"

"Hm." He raised his eyes and glanced up at her over his tinted glasses.

"Let's take a long shower together." She wrapped her arms around his neck as he sat up. "The heat around us as we become entangled around each other and the soap making everything more slick," she left it hanging in the air as she leaned in to nip John's earlobe. He closed his eyes and leaned into her touches. Maria's eyes glances downward fast enough to see her words were having the right affect. "Just seeing your physical response is enough for me."

Munch swiftly claimed her mouth and felt her lay down flat on the bed, pulling him closer. "Let's do that after," he whispered against her lips, claiming them once more.

**To be continued...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer - Maria Frank and Scott Frank are my own creations. John Munch belongs to Law and Order: SVU. Adult content.**

Once Scott had been dropped off at school with a change of clothes for his weekly sleep over, John and Maria had taken a chance to walk the dogs to a secluded dog park. Unhooking Ace's collar and allowing him to exploded the fenced in area while Alex found a shady spot to lay down, John and Maria sat down on an old wooden bench and enjoyed being close together, their fingers laced together.

Chuckling to himself with Ace lifted a leg for a moment and then began to scrape his back paws along the ground, Munch pointed out, "That dog sure has a free spirit."

"Ace has a very free spirit." She softly laughed and scooted closer to John, enjoy the closeness they were able to have. "Alex wasn't so spirited when he was younger, but the two get along very well." Frank glanced down for a moment when she felt his thumb softly rubbing along her hand and she swallowed heavily. "When Scott came along, Alex didn't freak out about the change like some dogs would have. The dog would sleep in Scott's room and warn me about every little sound he made."

"Sounds like they're all made for each other," John whispered as he leaned a little closer to her. "Kinda like us?"

Maria cocked an eyebrow and smiled at him. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Satisfied with her answer, Munch sat back up and placed her hand on his lap with both of his hands holding onto to it. Maria was content with him holding her hand with both of his and rested her head on his shoulder, making him feel like a new person. "Can I ask you something? You don't need to give an answer right away."

"Okay."

Inhaling a deep breath to steady his nerves, John very slowly began to think how he was going to say this. "I was thinking that - if it's okay with you - that maybe some time that in the near future..." he paused for a moment and licked his lips nervously. "I was hoping you and Scott could, well, move in with me in New York?"

Maria's heart began to pound fast in her chest and she grasped his fingers in her hand. It was a rather huge question and it was something she hadn't expected from him. "How long have you been thinking about this?" She lifted her head and saw he was certainly nervous about asking.

"I thought about it on the way up, but I've been wanting to ask you since Gee's case." He swallowed and glanced in the direction Alex was, hoping the ground was going to open up and swallow him whole. "If that question's too soon and you don't like it, feel free to-"

"No, no. It's okay," She reassured him gently and softly smiled when he turned to look at her. "You've been wanting to ask since two years ago at Giardello's shooting case?" He nodded his head slowly and bit down on his bottom lip. "It's a big change you're asking for."

He sighed heavily. "I know. It's a big change of you, me, Scott, the dogs." He motioned towards Ace who was rolling in a dirt pile, his hindquarters kicking out from excitement.

"It's a huge, huge change for all of us."

"Will you at least think about it for a little bit?" He wanted her to say yes to his question and he wouldn't lose her again, but he wasn't going to make the decision for her.

She placed a hand on his cheek and she smiled when he leaned into it. "Of course I will think about it." Mentally, she was smacking her hand against her head.

M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M

Sitting in her office chair and resting her chin on her hand, Maria was still thinking over John's request and it felt like her just dropped an atom bomb on her and Scott's life. She really wanted to be with John and possibly move things forward with their relationship, but he had only known Scott personally for a few days and was already dropping the 'move in' question on her. "John? Can you come here please?"

He gradually appeared around the corner with a concerned look and looked even more concerned when he saw her expression. "Did I do something?"

"It's more like your request." She motioned for him to sit down on his temporary bed and he swiftly sat. "It really does feel like you asked way too soon, the more I think about it. You are literally asking to uplift the life Scott and I have and place it right into your living room. It just feels like you want to move things way too fast on us."

"Oh," was all John could come out with and he leaned back against the wall.

"I mean, I want us to move our relationship forward and to be together, but this is way too fast for me." She kept her tone level and watched him carefully for any strange changes in his behavior. "Please, John. I just can't bring myself to accept this. At least not yet."

Crossing his arms and heavily sighing in defeat, Munch tried to find the right words to say. "I didn't quite think of it that way."

"Well, no. John, I know you too well to know you like to get things going at a rather quick pace, but I've got my pace as well."

"Fine, then. I won't bring it up again, I won't even think about it and we'll just finish my two week stay in peace and quiet." He swiftly got up and left the room before she could stop him.

Pressing her fingers to the bridge of her nose, Maria muttered, "That's not _quite_ what I meant," and followed him. "Now, that's not what I meant, John."

He turned quickly and she froze to avoid walking into him. "What are you _trying_ to _say_ then? That you would like us to continue with our relationship, but we're not able to move in together like real couples do with a child between them? I'd like to have the woman I love and the son I have to be under the same roof with me. _Is that too much to ask_?"

"When it comes to being a state or two apart, yes." She took a hold his arm to stop him from walking away and forced him to look at her. "I _know_ it's hard and I _know_ it breaks your heart, but there are two other people involved in this."

"He's _five_! What does he have here besides kindergarten?"

Maria could have smacked him. "He has friends here, John. He may be five, but he's also _very_ sensitive to changes. He has friends here - young and old - who he's _known_ his whole young life. Don't you _dare_ start thinking it won't affect him as much just because of his age." She released his arm when he tried to free himself and shook her head. "Whatever. You can go ahead and keep that thought in your head if you want."

He frowned and watched her finally turn around and head into her office. Only a few days into his stay and he already fucked it up. _Good job, John. Good fucking job. _Blowing out a long, slow breath to calm himself, he slowly headed towards the office and peeked inside to see her rocking the office chair from side to side and her back to him. "Maria?"

"What?" She asked him firmly, still keeping her back to him.

"I...I'm sorry for what I said." He slipped his hands into his pockets and gradually walked toward her. "I'm very sorry. I just-" He groaned and looked up at the ceiling, mentally kicking himself. "I didn't mean to say it, especially like that."

"Scott's not a typical five year old, John. I've told you several times already he can catch things rather quickly, haven't I?" She slowly turned in her seat and saw him nod his head in response. "What are you so afraid of to ask me that? Do you think you're going to lose me?"

Munch lowered his eyes and glanced in one direction, knowing she was going to ask that question. "Yes."

"Why would you think that?" She asked calmly, her expression changing to concern. He shrugged and kept avoiding eye contact with her, starting to feel like an idiot the more he thought about it. "I'm not going to leave you."

He raised his eyes slowly and locked them onto hers. "Really?"

"Really." She stood up and reached a hand down to pull one of his from the pocket, tracing the tips of her fingers along his hand. "Hell, we understand each other better than most people understand their loved ones. We're cops that both understand the danger of this life. No one else can understand the bond we both have. Why would you think I'd leave you again? I wouldn't consider inviting you up to see us and meet Scott if I knew we couldn't be together."

Relaxing his rather tense shoulders and observing her finger tips tracing along his hand, Munch felt his fears lifting from his shoulders. "Okay. When you put it that way and explain it to me, it doesn't sound as emotionally painful as I made it seem." When she returned a smile he gave her, he pulled her into a tight hug and held her tightly. "Love you."

She chuckled in her throat and closed her eyes, enjoying the tight hold he had around her. "Love you, too." They held onto each other for a few more minutes and then she pulled away slowly. "How about we go lay down for a bit, huh? We can take off our clothes and just enjoy our company?"

He grinned and allowed her to pull him towards the main bedroom, closing the door behind them. Before he even had a chance to say anything, she placed her fingers against his lips and slipped his glasses off carefully. John enjoyed the feel of her hands work his clothes off before he removed hers. He hugged her once more before he pulled back the covers and slipped under. When she joined him and snuggled close, Munch pressed his lips against her neck and whispered, "Can I still keep my idea of us moving in together in New York?"

"Yes," she turned her head and deeply kissed him. "Yes, you can."

M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M

A few hours later, John woke up to the feel of Maria's lips pressing up against his, her tongue gently prodding his mouth to allow entrance and her hand gently caressing him lower. Slowly awakening, he softly sighed when he allowed entrance and his nerves started to come alive wherever she touched him. The more she caressed him and pressing her breasts against his chest, the more awake and aroused Munch became. He finally wrapped an arm around her while his other hand slipped down and touched her gently.

When she jerked from his touch, he mentally smiled to himself and moved even closer. He didn't know what caused her to become spontaneously affectionate, but he wasn't going to stop her as she moved away from his mouth and began to work on his neck and below his ear. He groaned when she released him from her soft caresses and instead moved her hand to his backside, gently dragging her nails down to behind his thigh. His nerves were finally on fire from her touches, licks and nips and he gently pushed Maria onto her back.

"Where'd that come from?" He finally managed to ask once he was able to catch his breath and compose himself. His hand - which had been touching her gently - had stilled and she arched her back out of frustration. John noticed her frustration and grinned, slipping a finger in to ease it.

Smiling happily, Frank finally answered him. "I felt bad about what had been mentioned between us."

"And doing what you had done to get my attention is your apology?" Munch wasn't complaining, but he wanted to make sure of where this was going. When she gave a small smile and shrugged, he removed his finger and she groaned in frustration again. "C'mon. I've never seen a woman become so frustrated when I stop moving my hand."

"You have now, buddy," she replied and attempted to press her hips against his hand to get the sensations she craved to feel. When he removed his hand to hold her waist down, Maria sighed. "To finally answer your question, I guess that's what I had in mind."

Smirking happily, John lowered his head and deeply kissed her before moving down to her chest. Slipping an eager mouth over one breast, Munch took notice to her rapid change from laying perfectly still to a shuddering and softly gasping body. His tongue bathed over her nipple and she arched her back against him. This was possibly the best apology he had ever received and he ached to finally dive into her depths and loose his mind in their bodily connection.

Slipping her eyes closed, Maria grunted with pleasure and reached for something on the nightstand blindly until her fingers came across it. "Here," she gasped and handed the wrapped condom to him, grinning when he gave it a blank stare of surprise. "I had sneaked into your things and grabbed it while you were asleep."

"You sneaky minx," he hissed out in a husky voice and he took it from her slowly, rewarding her with a deep and passionate kiss. He sat up on his knees and locked his eyes on her as he tore it open, an amusing smile going across his features when she started to breath heavily as he eased it on. "You're not going to loose control yet, are you?"

She chuckled and reached for him to lean back down over her. "Not unless you don't get down to it," she whispered hotly against his ear and playfully bit his neck.

Groaning from the contact of her teeth, he sat back up on his knees and took a hold of her right thigh, placing it over his shoulder. "Do you have a preference?" Frank shook her head and shuddered with joy when he lightly ran his fingertips along the inside of her raised leg. "That's good because I don't either." He slowly leaned back down and reminded her softly, "If it hurts or is uncomfortable having your leg on my shoulder, let me know."

"I will," She whispered back, admiring how gentle he was being for her own well being. Maria licked her lips with anticipation and softly groaned as he slowly entered her depths, relaxing herself to welcome him in even more. "John..."

"Shh. Almost in," He whispered gently, biting down on his bottom lip to restrain himself from just diving in and thrusting without pause. He wanted to be sure she was comfortable first. Once he was fully enclosed in her depths, Munch wrapped an arm around her left shoulder and pressed his forehead into her neck. "Fuck, this feels great." He groaned a little and felt her chuckle under him. "Just let me know when you're ready."

Maria ran her hands down his back and gripped his lower back with her short fingernails. "I'm okay, John. You can start." He raised his head and she softly smiled at him, whispering, "Go for it."

Using one arm to keep most of his weight off of her and his other arm wrapped around her left shoulder, John began at a slow thrust and gradually picked up speed. Maria held onto his upper arms as she allowed him to take her and feel the love he had for her, their eyes never breaking contact as he moved over her. The pleasure he was giving her felt incredible and she finally allowed a sharp gasp to escape her lips when he leaned down and licked at a breast. "You liked that?"

"Fuck yes!" She moaned out the words and squirmed under his lean body.

John grinned and continued to thrust at an even and quick pace, sweat starting to bead along his brow. He shifted his weight a little and placed his supporting hand under her hip, deeply and roughly kissing her. He bit down on her bottom lip gently and grunted with pleasure when her hands slipped down to his backside and pulled him closer.

"Don't...stop." Frank held onto him firmly and slipped her tongue against his when he went back to deeply kissing her. Their bodies were slick from sweat and neither one wanted it to end. Her leg was finally starting to cramp and she pulled away just enough to mutter it was uncomfortable and John paused, lowering her leg gently and firmly massaged it while she stretched it out. "I'm going to feel that cramp later."

Munch removed his arm from her shoulder and kept his off of her upper torso, bracing himself up with both arms. "I can take care of it later, you know."

"I might just take you up for that offer." She placed her hand on the back of his head and pulled him down for a gentle kiss, sighing heavily when he started thrusting once more. It wasn't going to take them long and John was starting to feel the rising urge of a climax coming. He could feel Maria starting to breathe a little heavier now and held her close to his chest. "John..."

"I won't last much longer either," he gasped and closed his eyes. They were so close.

"John," she pressed her face into his shoulder and tightly wrapped her arms around his neck.

Munch followed suit and inhaling the scent emanating from her body heavily. "I love you." Maria sharply gasped when he grunted against her ear and he stilled, climaxing while deeply enclosed in her depths.

Seconds later, Maria followed suit as she felt him continuing to pulse and softly cried out his name, their small argument from earlier seeping from her soul. "I love you, John." She kept her arms wrapped around him firmly and tiredly smiled when she felt his lips placing small kisses along her neck. "Oh, John."

"I just want to lay here with you." His voice was hoarse and he sounded exhausted. Shifting his arms slightly to hold her more comfortably, Munch shifted ever so carefully and gently extracted himself from her. "I love you and I love Scott," He started as he began to drift off. "I'll move here if I have to."

Maria chuckled a little and gently touched his sweaty face with her fingers. "Let's not talk about that again. You're not even able to think clearly right now." She nuzzled against him and kissed under his closed eyes. "Just sleep, okay? I'll be right here when you wake up."

"Hm." John sighed in his sleep and didn't notice when she used a tissue from the side table to remove the used condom from him, without even moving away from his hold.

M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M

It was unknown how long they had been asleep in each others arms, but John woke up stiff in the joints and was still feeling exhausted from their sexual encounter. Feeling her thumb gently rubbing along a crease in his neck, he opened one eye to see her unconsciously caressing him in her sleep. He smiled warmly and kissed her softly on the lips. "Hm."

"Hey, sweetheart." He gradually sat up and stretched out his back, noticing his protection had been removed. "When did you do that?"

Maria sat up slowly and rubbed the cramp in her right leg. "Right when you were falling asleep." She grimaced and leaned back on her pillows. "Wanna help with this cramp?"

"Sure." Munch moved closer to her leg and rested it on his lap, his long fingers working on the tight muscle tenderly. "I didn't mean for you do get a cramp."

"I know you didn't, but it felt really good though." He turned his head and raised an eyebrow. "Having my leg on your shoulder felt really good. Maybe we can work on that a little more and get the muscles stretched out better so we can do that more often."

He grinned and his cheeks went pink for a moment. "I knew you'd like it. I had a girlfriend who loved having her legs on my shoulders and it drove her crazy from the sensations she would feel." He looked back down to see where he was on her leg. "How about you?"

Maria bit down on her bottom lip and felt shy for a second. "I really liked it. When we had been together in Baltimore, you never tried it with me."

He tilted his head to one side, remembering it. "Yes, I didn't because I didn't want to rush all of these new sexual techniques onto you." He grinned to himself and added, "And I have a lot of sexual techniques up my sleeves."

"I know you do," she laughed and watched him work over the cramp in her leg. His bangs - which were always combed back - had fallen forward and had been brushed to the side with the back of his hand. His dark brown eyes showed the concentration he had on her leg while they showed the love and affection he had for her when he raised them up to look at her. The taut muscles in his shoulders and arms moved effortlessly as he worked his fingers over the smooth skin along her calf and thigh muscles. His back remained straight and showed signs of the faint scratch marks she had given him. "I'm sorry about your back."

"Hm?" He raised his head and cocked a brow.

She pointed at his back and leaned forward to trace a faint line, watching the taut back muscles twitch slightly under her touch. "I clawed you during our excursion. Didn't leave anything severe, but I'm still sorry."

He chuckled and kissed her forehead, his hand running up her leg. "It's okay. I liked it."

"Guess we both found something we like."

John laughed softly and went back to working out the cramp in her leg. Maria smiled warmly at him and leaned back against the headboard, her body concentrating on his firm and caring touches.

**To be continued...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer - Maria Frank and Scott Frank are my own creations. John Munch belongs to Law and Order: SVU.**

The next day -

John was sore. Too sore for that matter and rolled over with a groan until he was on his stomach. The blankets had been shifted during the night to the point they were down by their waists, with the sheets crumbled on the floor. After he had helped ease the cramp in Maria's leg, they had a few more wild excursions before finally passing out, tangled among each other.

Feeling something tugging under his waist, Munch lifted his head and slowly eased himself up to see it was her arm trapped under him. Turning his head slowly, he gave Frank a small smile before laying back down with a thud, arms tucked under the pillow. "I can't move," he finally muttered after a few minutes.

Maria snorted as she rolled over onto her side and draped and arm over his back, nuzzling against his neck. "Not like we have anywhere to go today."

"When is Scott coming home?" His voice was muffled by the pillow, but she managed to catch it.

She took a quick glance at the clock and sighed heavily, pulling the blanket back up to cover themselves up. "School ends at noon and he'll be home by one." The clock said seven thirty. "We can keep laying here if you want."

"We could," he sighed, feeling himself starting to drift off again. "What about the dogs?"

She groaned into his neck and slowly raised herself up. "Oh, fuck me-"

"I already did."

She gave him a small smack over the head and heard him laugh. "I gotta let them out before they piss all over the place." When she finally managed to move off the bed and reach into her closet for her robe and a pair of pajama pants, John opened one eye to catch a delicious glimpse of her backside to him and he sighed. "Like what you see?"

"And then some," he answered back with a grin, still not moving since he was finally comfortable. At some point, he had fallen back to sleep and didn't notice she had left and had come back forty-five minutes later, until he felt a dip in the bed and a hand on his back. "That was fast," Munch muttered in his sleep, giving a small smile when he felt her kiss his temple.

Frank smiled and rubbed the back of his neck firmly. "No, not really. You're just thinking it was fast."

He chuckled and slowly sat up. "Can I pick up Scott?"

"I guess so, if you really want to." She eyed him a little, a small smile tugging up the corner of her mouth. "You two are starting to get along, aren't you?"

"Yeah. He's an easy kid to talk to." His expression changes slightly to a sorrowful look. "It's nice talking to a kid that hasn't been abused or molested." Munch gazed up to see her shoulders drop. "Sorry."

She shook her head and inhaled a slow breath. "It's okay. You're not the only one who's dealt with that." Maria forced a smile when he raised his eyes and looked at her. "Coming home to a smiling and laughing child has helped me, actually. It's better than coming home to an empty apartment and a refrigerator full of alcohol."

"Thought I was the only one," he muttered softly, taking note of how she grasped her hands in her lap.

"Nope. I'm the only single parent on my shift, so that makes it a little harder. My other three co-workers are married or in a partnership, in Miles's case. They were certainly all surprised and amazed when I discovered I was pregnant, though!" Frank softly laughed to herself and looked at her hands. "That took a lot of explaining."

John bit down on his bottom lip for a minute and shrugged his shoulder, with a grin. "That night was fun, though." When she blushed and nodded her head slowly, he asked. "How did the pregnancy go?"

"It was okay, considering the amount of stress I was always under. When I explained my situation, McKern had me on desk duty by the time I was around six months, but that didn't stop the stress. When I was halfway through my sixth month, McKern had placed me on maternity leave so I wouldn't stress myself into a premature labor." She raised her eyebrows and sighed. "That didn't stop me from going into labor three to four weeks before Scott was due."

John nodded his head, listening carefully. "And you had the c-section?"

"I had to. Every time I contraction, his heart rate rose or fell to almost dangerous levels. My doctor and nurses explained the situation and I went in later that night. When they pulled him out, they didn't show him to me right away since he hadn't started crying or really move until they warmed him up. Once he was warm and wrapped up, I didn't want him to leave my sight." Maria stood up and handed Munch a photo from inside her dresser drawer. "There was no doubt it was a Munch."

Looking over the photo of the newborn boy - hands in tiny fists, toes splayed out as he kicked the air and the dark hair on the head - John smiled proudly. "Certainly is my genes doing their best to create a boy like this."

"And a smart son-of-a-gun on top of that." Frank combed her fingers through his hair and he looked up. "Which makes me extremely happy that you two are getting along well."

M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M

Scott pumped his legs back and forth on the swing, swinging higher and higher. "Flint didn't believe me that you are my dad and I told him you were and when you came to get me, he looked really mad."

John sat on the swing beside Scott and watched the young boy. "Well, sounds like Flint wanted to be right and he didn't like it that he isn't."

"Probably." Scott slowed down and skidded to a stop. "He always thinks he is right." The five year old glanced up at the older man and they shared a look. "His daddy's a fire person."

"I bet his daddy isn't home a lot?"

He shook his dark-haired head and picked at some dried paint on his pants. "No. His mommy's a teacher at the school, too. I am the only one in my class with a police mommy."

Smiling, John leaned over and said, "And a police daddy."

"Right!" He grinned and his dark eyes shined in the afternoon light. "Am I the only kid in the world with a police mommy and daddy?"

Munch looked thoughtful for a moment. "Probably not. There are a lot of kids in the world and I'm sure there are other kids just like you with parents who are police." He noticed how the boy thought it over and he smiled to himself - he had the same expression when he was that young. "Scott?"

"Hm?" He looked up from picking at more dried paint.

"How has your mom been doing when she comes home from work?" He wanted to make really sure Maria was all right and Scott had shown he was very honest about things.

Scott shrugged his shoulders and kicked at the ground with his shoe. "She always looks unhappy - like she has had a bad day. But when she sees me, she smiles and hugs me really hard. Being a police person looks hard."

"It is hard, but no job is easy." Munch understood it had to be hard on Scott as well. "She does her best for you, though. She does it out of love to protect you and to be able to provide for you as you grow."

"Like you do for your kids?" Scott asked, wondering if John did have other kids.

He shook his head and answered, "You're the only kid of mine and I would certainly do the same for you." The boy looked up at him with a look he hadn't seen before and John wondered what was going through his mind. "What?"

"You'd do what my mom does for me?"

"Absolutely." He nodded his head firmly. "I want to protect you since you are my son."

Scott grinned happily and unexpected stood up and threw his arms around John's neck, hugging him. John froze and was unable to comprehend what Scott had done. This was the second time the two had hugged and this time it wasn't awkward. He gradually wrapped his arms around Scott and returned the hug, almost surprised when the youngster hugged him harder.

When Scott pulled away, John placed his hands on his shoulders and smiled at him. "What was that for, buddy?"

The five year old shrugged and honestly answered, "Why not?"

John chuckled and stood up the stretch his long legs. "How about we go grab some ice cream and take one home to your mom?"

"Really?" His young face brightened up and he squeaked happily. "Can I get double chocolate?"

"Whatever you want!"

M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M

Scott ran into the apartment after John opened the door for him and jumped up and down on the balls of his feet, holding the ice cream cone up for Maria. "We got ice cream and we got you one, too!"

Happily taking it and seeing it was her favorite coffee with dark chocolate chunks, Frank leaned down and hugged the boy before hugging John, placing a small kiss on his cheek. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," John replied back, smiling as she took a gleeful taste of her ice cream. "Scott has good taste in ice cream. I hope it's not going to ruin his dinner appetite." He watched Scott sprint off to greet the dogs before sitting down on the couch to finish what was left of his cone. "And I let him eat it in the car while coming home."

"Oh, don't worry about it, about either of those." She motioned him to follow her to the kitchen and picked up a napkin, cleaning up a tiny bit of melted double chocolate ice cream off his chin. "He doesn't get ice cream a lot, but I know he could live off of double chocolate if he could and I know he gets that from you."

"What part?" He popped the last of his cone into his mouth, finishing it off.

"The double chocolate and the love of sweets." Maria smirked and went back to happily devouring her cone. "This is heaven." She motioned to the fridge and muttered, "What would you like for dinner tonight?"

Munch opened it and took a glance at the various fresh meats and veggies. "You went shopping!"

"Sure did. I prefer shopping when Scott's not around since he just loves the aisles with cookies and other sweets. He goes goofy over Keebler cookies and I don't blame him, but he's persistent when he comes along. He's a lot better than he used to be, but it's still a battle." She pointed out one meat and one veggie. "I was thinking on these here, but you're welcome to pick whatever grabs your fancy."

He shrugged and picked up a packet of beef. "My beef bone's been calling my name since I got here. May we?"

"I can cook that up. Scott loves mashed potatoes with chicken or beef, so I'll cook that up as well. Maybe some green beans?" She tossed around the idea as she took the packet of beef from John and turned to place it on the counter, reaching down to find a pan and a pot. "What do you think of that?"

"Hmm, I don't know." Munch waited until she stood before wrapping his arms around her waist, kissing her neck. "Scott hugged me today and there was real emotion in it this time."

She turned her head slightly and warmly smiled. "This is a major improvement for him. He never warms up this fast around new people." She placed her hands over his and they linked their fingers. "Frankly, I'd rather have you tonight than beef, but I have to feed the spawn or he turns into a nasty little creature."

"So much like me." He growled into her ear and she laughed loudly. "If I don't get fed, I get grumpy."

She laughed again. "Hun, I think all people are like that."

Nodding his head to one side and reached for the packet of beef, Munch opened them and whistled. "This is nice."

"I have my ways of getting good looking meat," she pointed out as she winked.

Munch laughed loudly to the point tears started to roll down his face.

M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M

Later that night, John, Maria and Scott were deeply watching Scott's favorite Disney movie with both dogs curled up at their feet. Both adults were sitting next to each other with Munch's arm draped over her shoulders and with Scott on her lap, his head leaning against John's arm.

When Scott laughed at a funny part in the Mulan movie, Munch's fingers gently rubbed behind Frank's ear and she instinctively slightly leaned against them as he laughed with the youngster. John had never seen the movie before and he was thoroughly enjoying it.

Half way through it, Scott wiggled on Maria's lap and scooted over onto John's. They both shared a look and she smiled at him, rather surprised by their son's action.

At that moment, Scott turned and saw they were smiling at each other. "Are you going to kiss mommy?" He bluntly asked with a straight face.

John managed to pull himself together before any of them took notice to his shock. "Well, not right now during the movie, sport." He warmly smiled at the boy and nodded towards the television. "Looks like a big scene's coming up. We don't want to miss it."

* * *

><p>"He busted you big time," Maria giggled. They laid there together the next morning, the comforter was once again on the bedroom floor and the sheets barely covered their nude bodies. Scott was still in bed, fast asleep after the late night of watching two favorite movies. "I didn't expect him to ask <em>that<em> question at all. He busted you hard."

Turning his head tiredly, Munch shifted enough to nuzzle against her neck and deeply inhaled. "That is quite a son we have there. Nothing gets past him." He pressed his lips to her bare shoulder and draped a leg over hers. "I wanted to kiss you, but it would have been awkward if I told him I was going to at that moment."

She laughed softly and rolled over onto her side, wrapping her arms around him. "You're such a gentleman that way, showing some restrain to a five year old."

"It's not like I wanted him to turn to his classmates and go, 'an old man who says he's my dad was trying to suck my mom's face off'. I have a reputation I have to keep up and I don't want it destroyed by a little kid." He pointed out in one breath, only finishing when she slipped a hand over his mouth, shushing him softly. "Mmm." His brows creased and his eyes narrowed.

Maria softly smiled and slowly removed her hand. "Are you done?"

"Maybe," he muttered his reply, his eyes shifting to one side.

_Like father, like son. _"Now don't be silly, John. He's more likely to stand up for the entire class and announce it over a loud speaker." She couldn't contain her chuckle as John's dark eyes grew wide. "Nah, I'm just playing with you, John-boy."

"I was hoping you were." He pulled her close and deeply kissed her, tracing his tongue along her bottom lip until she allowed him entrance. "I've gotta keep my reputation," he muttered before claiming her lips once more. They kept it up for a few minutes; John running his hand up her bent leg and her arms wrapping around his shoulders until they caught the sound of feet pattering down the hallway.

"Shh." Maria held up her hand to listen at what direction the feet were heading and watched John leap forward to grab for the comforter on the floor so they would be covered in case Scott did swing that door open to cheerfully announce it was Saturday. "Stop moving," she muttered, grabbing his hands to stop his movements.

The pattering of the feet stilled slightly almost to their door and Munch threw the comforter up to evening cover them both. "Last thing he needs to see is me butt naked with you," he hissed out.

She shushed him once again and listened. Both blew out held breaths as the feet continued on past the door and right to the living room. "Oh, man. I mean, he may have questioned you about kissing me, but he doesn't need to see us like this." She held up her hands, motioning the sheets and comforter pooling around her bare waist. "Well, more you than me."

"Meaning?" He raised a dark brow.

"Meaning he's seem me nude before. Once he threw up on me as I was carrying him to his room since he wasn't well at school. I carried him to the bathroom, removed his clothes, removed my shirt and bra, and we sat in the tub together. He was one sick puppy and didn't want to be out of my arms and sitting in the tub together helped him a lot." Frank began to get up and reached for a pair of sleep shorts and t-shirt.

Munch followed suit and made the bed. "We did that a few times when we were in Baltimore. Remember?"

"I do. Both when we sick and when we were not sick." She nodded her head slightly. "I remember very well." Her eyes lowered sadly and her shoulders went slack. "There were nights I craved us being together like that."

"We can still do that, Mar." He observed her saddened demeanor and how quickly it changed. "We can do that while I'm here."

Maria raised her eyes and the side of her mouth tugged up in a smile. "Yeah?"

"Of course." He walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders, burying his face into her hair. "Whatever you want, we'll do it. If you want to have strawberries rained over your body, I'll do that. If you want me to stand in front a train and shouting my love for you, I'll do it." When she laughed at his last offer, John happily smiled.

"Thank you."

He kissed her forehead softly. "Whatever to get that smile on your face."

**To be continued...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer - Maria Frank and Scott Frank are my own creations. John Munch belongs to Law and Order: SVU.  
>Note - The Sarah mentioned is Sarah Zelman, who's created and owned by Cardinal Robbins and used with permission.<br>**

In the complete darkness that enveloped them, John and Maria softly finished what they had started with combined panting. Collapsing beside him and continuing to pant, Maria opened one eye when he softly kissed her forehead and watched him pad off to the bathroom to get cleaned up. They only had four days left before he was due to head back to New York and one question had been rolling around in her mind.

They had been in communication when the planes had hit the trade center buildings, but John briefly mentioned it during and after the attacks. Maria knew he was living in the city and knew it had affected him, but she wanted to know what he had experienced.

More than anything, she was curious.

When the bed dipped under John's weight and she felt him laying down beside her a few minutes later, Frank draped her arm over his waist and nuzzled against his neck. "Can I ask you something?"

"Hm?" He was spacing out between staying awake and drifting off, but he turned his head to where she was and giving her his attention.

She shifted closer to him and rested her chin on his shoulder. She could feel he was relaxed, so getting him to talk wasn't going to be too hard. "You live in the city, right?"

He nodded his head, not showing any indication of being concerned.

"I want to ask you about the attacks on the trade center buildings." She watched his forehead crease in concern in the darkness. Her fingers gently smoothed over his cheek, trying to show him it was all right. "I just want to know what happened," she explained softly. "I don't want to freak you out or anything-"

"No. No. It's okay." He finally spoke, his tone not faltering or showing signs of hesitation. Shifting his position so they were laying face-to-face, John gently touched her face with the tips of his fingers. "What do you want to know?"

"All I know is what I've seen on the news and heard from friends who knew people who survived." Maria took a hold of his fingers and held them against her bare chest, seeing his eyes scan over her face. "Just tell me about it." She kept her voice at a soft level, continuing to hold his fingers close.

Exhaling slowly, John gradually began at the beginning. "When we heard one plane had hit, we felt it could have been an accident. A devastating accident to say the least. Then the second one hit and we knew something was up. A few of my colleagues went ahead to help evacuate from surrounding buildings while I stayed behind until after they collapsed. Somehow between watching the news and scanning what was left of the buildings, I managed to call you and leave a message."

He shook his head slightly, doing his best to recall. "I don't know how I did that. Right after we pulled up to the scene, I saw something on the ground that seemed out of place. At some point, it had been a living person." John pulled his hand from hers and slowly sat up. "At some point, someone chose to jump to their death when they saw no other way of escaping alive. I thought of you suddenly and somehow managed to leave you a message on your cell."

"A jumper?"

John shook his head again, turning to glance at her over his shoulder. "The amount of bodies I saw was... I can't explain it. But the terrible stuff I saw when we started looking for survivors made the jumpers bodies seem mellow. Saw a hand grasping another hand, like those two people held hands as it was collapsing."

Maria rose to her knees and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressing herself up against him. "Where the owners of those hands still attached?"

He gradually nodded his head. "Yeah." Physically exhausted from the day and from their love-making, Munch closed his eyes and softly sighed when she pressed her lips to his temple. "We did find living people buried under that carnage, thankfully. One I made a connection with while she was in the hospital."

"Yeah?" Frank rested her chin on his shoulder.

"Promise to not get pissed at me?"

She frowned slightly, taken aback from his request. "Of course I won't. What happened? Was it between you and this person?"

He nodded once again, his shoulders relaxing from her answer. "Yes. She was working with the Feds when the towers fell and we clicked, to say the least. Still not going to get pissed at me?"

"I promised I wouldn't." Frank stated firmly. "I mean it, too. Did you two escalate to sex?"

"A lot of wild sex, actually." John cracked a small smile when she whistled. "Don't get me wrong, you and Scott were on my mind all the time, but this woman was just," he glanced at Maria behind him. "She's a lot like you."

Laughing softly to not wake the sleeping Scott, Frank moved to sit beside him and asked, "Are you sure she wasn't my evil twin or something?"

"No, but she's a good person."

"Tell me more about her, if you don't mind." She seemed interested as she settled beside him, reaching for the comforter that had been kicked to the floor and draped it around them to keep warm. "What's her name?"

Munch smiled to himself and whispered, "Sarah." He scooted closer to Maria and shifted the comforter where it covered their shoulders. "I don't know how she survived the collapse of the buildings - and I know how you are with your belief issues - but it's almost a miracle she did."

Maria carefully took his hand and asked, "How long were you two together?"

"Until the end of January of this year. It's like we stayed together because of the tragedy while we deeply, really deeply liked each other, but she still had the feds and I still had you." Munch shifted a little uncomfortably. "Of course, me being me, I may have offered a hand in marriage to her as well."

She gave him a blank look. "You gotta stop doing that," she finally stated after a moment. "You gotta learn to control that impulse to do things or say things before the time is really right."

"I know." He glanced sheepishly in her direction and sighed. "I try."

"What did Sarah say when you did that?"

"She took the ring while saying she was going to think about it. When it came closer to when we parted ways, she came across one of your letters by accident." He shook his head slightly. "She was sort of pissed that I hadn't told her, but at the same time, she felt terrible for being in a relationship with a man who was already in communication with someone else who also had his son."

Lowering her eyes slightly and gripping his hand firmly, Maria asked, "What happened?"

He exhaled slowly, remembering it clearly. "Sarah bowed out right away, stating I had a chance of a family and it wasn't her place to get in the middle of it. She could see how happy we are through that one letter and all she wanted was for me to be happy." He turned his head and smiled at her. "She gave the ring back, we parted on good terms and she knew the Feds wanted her back as soon as possible."

"I'm glad you two did part on good terms." She rested her head on his shoulder and placing her free hand on top of their linked fingers. "Maybe some day I'll meet this amazing woman."

He shrugged, wondering that himself. "Maybe." His eyes glanced down and shook his head for a second, shaking an image from his head. "Frankly, it's not just the surviving victims that are having nightmares. I saw terrible shit right after those towers went down and have been dealing with flashes, nightmares, and so on since it happened." He felt Maria's eyes upon him. "Sarah had them all the time, so we'd comfort each other."

"Is that why you were trembling slightly in your sleep the other night?" Maria asked with concern, remembering the feeling of him trembling against her, his fingers digging into her side as he held her close. It didn't hurt her, but it alarmed her. "I mean, I know working special victims is new to you, so I figured that's why you were trembling."

"No, it was a nightmare I was having about the towers. I'm sorry I never mentioned it to you. I just," he chewed on his bottom lip for a second. "I don't know. I wasn't IN the buildings when they went down and I didn't gain any injuries like Sarah did-"

Maria cut him off, shaking her head. "You did gain an injury. Anyone emotionally and mentally scarred by the attacks is going to have flashes or nightmares, even if they were not physically hurt. Through Sarah, you experienced the trauma she had and looking at the bodies in person mentally scarred you." She placed her hand on the side of his face and turned his head to look at her. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. I'm just glad you were not physically harmed, Sarah is safe and you two had each other until she bowed out."

John flashed a small smile and it began to grow, knowing Maria wasn't going to be bothered by it. "I needed to hear that."

"I know you did. That's why I said it." She pressed her lips to his temple and gently placed her hand on his shoulder, carefully forcing him to lie down. "How you've managed to stay awake after what we did earlier is amazing, however."

He softly chuckled, barely noticing where he was now. Exhaustion was finally taking over and he closed his eyes for a moment. "If I start trembling tonight?"

"You're not alone." She tucked the sheets and comforter around him, leaning down close to his ear to whisper, "and you won't be alone ever again."

He glanced up at her and they traded looks, unable to read her face clearly. All he was able to do was smile before the lamp was turned off.

* * *

><p>"When's dad leaving?" Scott asked the next day at breakfast, his legs swinging back and forth with a fork in one hand and a plastic butter knife in the other. Maria had been teaching him how to use a knife properly when cutting his food.<p>

She placed some waffles on his plate and kept her ears peeled for the sounds coming from the shower. "In a few days."

The five year old stared at his plate for a moment, unable to think and eat at the same time. "Why?"

"Because he has to get back to where he lives and where he works." She pressed down on the waffle maker, preparing to make more. Frank turned her head, seeing her son looking rather depressed. "What's the matter, hun?"

Scott shook his head, his dark hair waving side-to-side. "I'm okay."

Maria watched him carefully before turning back to the cooking waffles. It was obvious Scott wasn't okay, but she didn't want to push it further. Hearing John coming down the hallway - freshly showered - she smiled and motioned to the table where a plate was waiting for him. "You look like a ray of sunshine this morning?"

"I slept funky last night," John muttered as he yawned, reaching for a mug of hot coffee he could smell. He had slept in a weird position, but Maria had been also asleep to notice he wasn't going to be comfortable in the morning. He ruffled his still wet hair with a hand and took a sip. "The coffee's good this morning, as always."

"Thanks." Frank smiled again and earned a smile in return. "Hope you enjoy waffles. I don't make them too often since cleaning the maker is a pain in the tush, but Scott did ask for them." Scott grinned in between bites and continued to swing his legs back and forth happily, pleased in his way of getting what he wanted for breakfast.

John tilted his head towards Scott and winked at him. "Well, then. Thank you very much for asking for waffles." The boy giggled and went back to humming to himself, spanning off into his own happy world. "I did sleep funny," he reminded Maria softly, rolling his shoulder in an attempt to release the tense muscles.

"I can help you with that later, if you'd like." She offered, sitting down to actually eat her own breakfast once she placed down some waffles for Munch. "Would be better than having some strange woman doing it."

He paused in his eating and cracked a goofy smile. "Actually-"

"No," She responded quickly with a smile. "I don't think so, pal." She gave him a wink and they finished their breakfast in peace. Scott soon left with a friend and his parents to the park to play, taking both dogs with and leaving Maria and John alone for a couple of hours.

Raising his shirt over his head and laying face down on the bed, John inhaled Maria's familiar scent and smiled to himself. He wanted nothing more than to have her beside him till the day he died and hoped deep in his heart she would strongly consider moving to New York. When he felt her warm oiled hands on his shoulders, Munch turned his head slightly to give her access to a sore part in his neck.

She kneaded around the tight muscles and loosened them, smiling to herself when he exhaled slowly when the muscles relaxed. "I have a question, Mar," he asked, his voice muffled against his arm that rested under his head.

"Sure." Her fingers worked on one shoulder, applying as much pressure as she could without hurting him.

"What you said last night, about me not being alone anymore," he opened one eye and saw she as watching him. "What did you mean?"

Maria's hands froze for a moment and their eyes locked. She wanted to be with him terribly and leave Boston to be with him, but she had to consider Scott. "What I meant is that, at some point, you and I will be together. You can rest assured that you won't be alone because you have Scott and I." She gently caressed his cheek with the back of her index finger, warmly smiling when he closed his eyes at the contact.

"So, we will be living together?" He asked hopefully.

She nodded her head and answered, "Not right away, but we will." Maria went back to massaging his other shoulder and heard him groan from the pressure. "Well, I think I discovered your other weakness."

"Besides women and sex?"

Frank leaned down with a smile and whispered, "Pressure right here." She pressed against one spot right where his neck connected to his shoulder and he groaned again, biting down on his bottom lip and shifted his shoulder to get more pressure. "Need it a little harder?"

He nodded his head and raised himself up on his elbows. John's dark eyes were brimming with tears from the tension being released and he softly gasped, feeling Maria straddling his waist and pressing her lips against his forehead. "It hurts."

"I know, but it will feel better real soon." She spoke softly as she shifted her fingers to just her thumb applying the pressure. She gradually pulled back after a few minutes and he bowed his head with a heavy sigh. "Any better?"

"Yes, thanks," he softly whispered, turning his neck slightly to glance at Maria. "I didn't realize how tight it was right there." Munch rolled over as she raised herself off of him, a playful smile crossing her face. "Maybe I should have you find all of my pressure points that make me weak." He toyed with the hem of her jeans and gave them a tug.

Maria laughed and pulled her legs to her chest. "Maybe you should, but I should make sure I found all of the spots that were causing you trouble first." She motioned him to lay back down on his stomach and straddled him once more, aiming for his lower back.

With one hand resting under his head and the other by his side, John slyly smiled to himself and ran a few fingers up and down her leg. Hearing a giggle as she worked one his back, he lifted his hand and grabbed at the back of her thigh lightly. She yelped from how quick he did it and lightly smacked his hand away. "Don't I get a chance to touch the woman I love?" He asked innocently.

"Yes, but don't grope her while she's working on your back," She playfully shot back with her hands on her hips. "You're making this a little harder than it should be."

"How?" He lifted his head with a glee in his eyes. "Grabbing your thigh making you excited?" His dark brows wiggled and she playfully slapped his side. "Oh, and we're feeling feisty, too?" He quickly rolled over and wrapped his arms around Frank's waist, earning a squeal of glee as he pinned her down. Slowly moving down her pinned body, he raised her shirt slightly and kissed her stomach. His tongue lightly skimmed along her skin and he asked, "You're my girl?"

Warmly smiling and reaching a hand down to touch the side of his face, Maria softly answered with, "Always." He returned the warm smile and went back to gently kissing her stomach.

**To be continued...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer - Maria Frank and Scott Frank are created by me. John Munch belongs to Law and Order: SVU.**

Scott watched with a heavy heart as John started packing his things. He was due to leave in the morning and wanted to pack his things instead of being rushed in the morning. Reaching into the laundry basket and extracting a pair of neatly folded slacks, John noticed the boy standing there and straightened up. "Hey, Scott. Everything okay, buddy?"

The five year old shook his head tearfully and ran into the room, wrapping his arms around Munch's leg. "I-I don't want you to go!" He sobbed into his pant leg and didn't stop when John lifted him up until his arms. Holding the boy tightly to his chest, he patiently and calmly soothed the child in an attempt to calm him down.

Hearing the sound of Maria rushing down the hallway to see what was going on, John asked when she entered, "What do I do?"

"Just keep telling him it's going to be okay and let him cry himself out." She walked over and placed her hands on Scott's back to rub it. "Why did he start crying?"

Blowing out a breath, he looked at her with sadness etched in his face. "He doesn't want me to go." He held the boy even closer and muttered sadly, "I don't want to go either, buddy."

"None of us do," She added, turning her head to look at how much he had packed. "When he's calmed down, I can help."

When John agreed, he headed out into the living room and left her alone for a few minutes. Sadly sighing and sitting on the edge of the bed, Frank reached into the suitcase and pulled out one of his shirts. _Shit, I can't do this, _she thought tearfully, holding the shirt close to her chest. "I can't do this."

"I'm sorry, Mar." John had returned after laying Scott down, startling her slightly. I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault. We both knew this was going to happen and there's no way around it." She raised her head and allowed a few more tears to fall. "I just wish you didn't have to go."

Kneeling down and placing his hands on her knees, Munch calmly asked, "If you want, I can look for available rental apartments close to where I live?" When she didn't answer, he scooted closer and could tell she really wanted him to stay with her. "I know you told me you'd think about it and to take into consideration of what I'm asking since it's a huge decision for you and Scott, but-"

"Yes." She cut him off quietly, her eyes raising to look into his. "Yes, I want you to look, even if we end up moving into your place without pausing." The emotional pain gripping inside her chest made everything she said a week ago seem so meek. Maria wanted him to stay in her - and Scott's - life. "I didn't even realize how hard this is going to be for Scott, let alone myself."

Leaning forward and gently pressing his lips to hers, John whispered, "I love you and I love Scott." His hands went to her face, wiping away her tears. "I want you both to be happy and want what's best for _you._" He glanced down at the shirt she was gripping in her hands. "You can keep the shirt, by the way."

She cocked a brow and smiled through her tears. "Really?"

"Yes, I have more shirts in my closet and I know you want to keep me around until we hook up again." Munch sat down next to her and held her close. "Let's finish getting packed and we can have some quiet time together before Scott wakes up."

Maria nodded her head and held the shirt to her face, inhaling his scent. "Okay and thanks for letting me keep this." He smiled at her warmly and went back to sorting out clean clothes Frank had washed for him, turning his back to her for a moment. "You do realize I come with baggage, right?"

John turned while folding a shirt and furrowed his brows. "You're not meaning Scott, I know that."

"No, I'm not meaning him. I'm talking invisible baggage, John. The emotional and mental stuff." She stood and placed his shirt in her closet to keep it safe. "I know you have it, too, but my baggage is enormous. I don't want to alarm you in case something comes up later on in our relationship."

"Maria, I carry a lot of baggage, too." He handed her a pair of slacks to fold and they continued packing. "That isn't something that will come between us, if that's what you're wondering." Munch emptied the laundry basket and zipped the suitcase closed. "C'mon, I have something in mind for us."

Frank agreed and went check on Scott quickly before heading towards the bathroom was standing. "What are we doing?"

"You said how much you missed doing this, right?" He turned on the tub and plugged the bottom, allowing it to fill with hot water. "I figured we can do this one last time before I leave."

Smiling and closing the door, Maria allowed John to remove her clothes before she did the same to him. Getting into the tub first and settling down, Munch held out his hands for her to take as she stepped in, settling between his legs. She sighed against him when his arms wrapped around her waist and placed her hands over his. "Much better."

"Comfortable?" He asked softly, resting his chin on her shoulder. Maria nodded her head 'yes' and John whispered, "I'm glad." With a sly smile, he held onto her tightly and slide down in the tub until it was just the top of their shoulders showing.

Maria giggled and adjusted her legs so they were fully submerged with him, turning her head to smile at him. "You did that the first time we did this, too."

"Sure did and it made you laugh the same way." Munch closed his eyes and happily sighed to himself. "Mind if I share my dreams with you?"

"Of course."

He smiled warmly and whispered softly into her ear, "I see us living together with Scott and the dogs and you expecting our second child."

Frank softly laughed at the thought, asking, "Did we have a girl or a boy?"

"We're not sure since we're keeping it a secret until it's due, but we're excited and Scott can't wait to be a big brother." He reached a hand up and tucked a dark strand of hair behind her ear. "We are also married and still working in the police life since it's all we know."

"I like that," Maria whispered back, linking their fingers together under the water. "I really like that." Settling more against him and resting her forehead against his jaw, Frank closed her eyes and felt at ease about him leaving. "We can still make you're dreams real, John. It'll take time, but we can do it."

Smiling and chuckling in his throat, John relaxed with her in his arms and kissed her neck. "Even with you expecting?"

"I'm still in my thirties," She reminded him. "We can do it." Maria leaned into his lips when he kissed her neck again and chuckled. "We may end up doing this a lot when I'm expecting."

"I won't complain one bit."

M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M

Scott leaned against John as they watched 101 Dalmatians, his small hands resting over his dad's bigger one that was wrapped around his waist. Around the beginning of the movie, the youngster scooted onto Munch's lap and stayed comfortable there through the movie, laughing at funny bits.

Laying comfortably against John's shoulder, Maria's mind kept going back to what his dreams were for them as she watched how the adult dogs acted around the many puppies in the animated movie. She had always wanted to have a family to come home to after a long day from work instead of coming home to a hungry and tired five year old and being by herself. Unconsciously, Frank reached down between them and held Munch's hand, feeling his hand returning the grasp.

Glancing sideways and seeing their hands, Scott observed it for a moment before going back to the movie. His small shoulders relaxed and he leaned back against Munch's chest. "Momma? Do you like daddy?"

Maria's heart stopped in her chest for a moment and she glanced at John, who licked his lips as he was slightly nervous. The child innocently turned his head towards his mother and stared at her with his big dark eyes. "Yes, I like daddy, Scott."

"You like him a lot?"

John smiled and answered, "Yes. We like each other a lot."

Looking pleased with himself, Scott smiled at them both and went back to the movie, a content grin on his face.

M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M*M

Entwined around each other later that night, Maria grasped John's scrub top and lightly tugged at the buttons, debating on whether to take the chance to wake him by unbuttoning his shirt to place her hands on his bare chest or watch him peacefully sleep against her.

"What's the matter?" John soft voice startled Frank slightly, cracking a small smile when he peered out of one eye. "You look like your debating with something."

Clicking her tongue lightly, Maria whispered, "I guess. I was debating on whether parting your scrub top so I can feel you under my hands or just watching you sleep."

"You can do both," he offered, tilting his head slightly and adjusting his hold around her to give her more room to unbutton his shirt. When her fingers skimmed over his warm flesh, John warmly smiled and closed his eyes. "Feel better?"

"Yes, I do." Frank pressed her cheek against his chest and sighed contently, listening to his heart beating under her ear. "I feel a lot better."

* * *

><p>Standing at the train station the next morning, John scanned over the board to make sure his train was coming on time before turning to face Maria and Scott. "Looks like it's coming on time."<p>

Maria nodded her head and glanced down at Scott holding her hand with both of his. "I guess you should head down before it gets too crowded," she suggested softly, struggling to keep her composure.

"I guess I should." Munch agreed, placing his stuff down and taking a hold of her other hand, squeezing her fingers. "I'll call when the train arrives in New York, okay?"

"Okay," she nodded her head and pulled him into a tight hug, burying her face into his shoulder. "Think it'll be weird if I don't wash the shirt you let me keep?"

He laughed softly, pressing his lips to her temple. "That's fine." He softly kissed her, not forgetting Scott was right there. Breaking the kiss and looking down at Scott, he knelt down and they hugged. "I love you, son."

"I don't want you to go," he whimpered, big tears running down his five year old cheeks. "I want to go with you."

"We'll meet again, sport. I promise," he assured gently, cupping the boy's face in his hands. "We'll be together again." The youngster shook his head roughly and jumped into Maria's arms, continuing to bawl in her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Mar."

She shook her head, a sad smile on her lips. "It's okay." Frank watched him pick up his bags and reached an arm out to hug him once more. "Make room in your place, okay?"

"I will." He stared at Maria longingly, wishing they would have had just one more week together. Placing his hand on Scott's back, he grabbed the youngster's attention and said softly with a smile, "It's not goodbye, buddy. We'll see each other again very, very soon."

Scott nodded against Frank's shoulder and sniffled loudly a few times, his eyes brimming with more tears. "Can I bring my dogs?"

"Of course you can." He reassured, earning a small smile for the child. "I'll call when I'm back home and I can tell you all about the train ride."

"I'd like that." The five year old cracked a bigger smile and watched as John began heading in the direction of his train to New York.


End file.
